DeBoer responds to Stephen A. Smith doubting his desire to win a National Championship

Some took offense to the way Alabama football head coach Kalen DeBoer answered a question at SEC Media Days about how his legacy in Tuscaloosa will be defined by whether he can win a National Championship,

Stephen A. Smith was one of those in opposition of DeBoer.

“You surrender to an ass-kicking on national television to end your season,” Smith said on ESPN’s First Take. “And when all of that is said and done and you force Alabama fans everywhere to live with that the entire offseason. It is media day, the season hasn’t started yet, and they I ask you about your ambition, your goal, and what it means to capture the ultimate prize, and your words are, I just want people to be better. I just want to get the best out of people. Come on, man.”

DeBoer responded to the pushback he got from his answer at SEC Media Days during an exclusive interview with ABC 33/40.

“We’ve been fully embracing what the expectations are here at Alabama,” DeBoer said. “That’s what we all signed up for. That’s why we came here. So I guess that, you know, surprises me to have it come across that way. You get asked the same questions a lot of different ways. For me, you know, what I’m focused on, I guess the way you want to come across is you’re focused on the process, you’re focused on the day-to-day things. And that, I think the question had something to do with like a legacy or time when… right now is what matters. You know, the perception and whatever it is when it’s all said and done, that’ll take place on its own. We’re gonna do everything we can to make sure that it’s an awesome experience and it’s an awesome time and that we’re never gonna shy away from championships and winning. It’s a big-time piece of this program. And that’s what I’ve been a part of wherever I’ve been is having those type of lofty goals and expectations, and that’s why I came here.”

Alabama opens the season up Sept. 5 against East Carolina.