He jumped ship from the University of Alabama after Nick Saban announced his retirement from coaching on Jan. 10, but Kadyn Proctor recognized quickly that other schools do not operate like the Crimson Tide.
Proctor left for his hometown program, the University of Iowa, but he returned to Tuscaloosa in the summer via the NCAA transfer portal.
The former five-star from Alabama’s 2023 recruiting class is thankful to be back. He has had to earn the trust of teammates and coaches again, yet Proctor has excelled in the offseason.
After earning a spot on the Freshman All-SEC Team, Proctor is excited to be even better in pass protection and run blocking. Tyler Booker, one of Proctor’s good friends, got an opportunity to talk about his teammate on Wednesday as Alabama took the stage at Southeastern Conference Media Days.
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Booker said Proctor is ‘fully bought back in to Alabama’s culture.’
“He knew what he would have to face when he came back,” Booker said. “He knew he would have to earn the guys’ respect again because he left when it was easy, but he also came back. He had enough respect for us to come back, play with us, and have that love for us. He has been working the whole time, and it has been great. We are glad to have him back.”
Proctor assisted the Tide to an SEC Championship in 2023, but he looks to do more in the fall.
He is gunning for an opportunity to return to being a starter at left tackle.
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Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
