Kalen DeBoer tells how false rumors after Week 1 loss increased chip on Alabama’s shoulder

Sep 27, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer looks on in the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Six Saturdays ago, the temperature of Kalen DeBoer’s seat turned up a few degrees when Alabama lost to Florida State and gave an embarrassingly low amount of effort that many players and coaches took accountability for in the following days.

Criticism from the media, fans and players put a bit of a chip onto Alabama’s shoulder, but a rumor that spread on social media made that chip even larger.

An X account called “Bear Bryant’s Burner” shared a picture of a message that he claims was from an Alabama booster who says he’s spent time around the team hotel for over 25 years. The content of the message included an accusation that players were “walking around at 1-1:30 a.m. getting Door Dash deliveries of fast food the night before the game” and had “random friends coming in and out of hotel until 1-2 a.m.”

On top of that, the unnamed booster said Alabama “couldn’t get organized to leave the team hotel on time without confusion.”

Legend, a frequent caller on “The Paul Finebaum Show”, also posted that he had sources telling him about Alabama players getting fast food deliveries, sneaking their girlfriends into the team hotel and being late for the team bus.

On Wednesday, this topic was brought up during DeBoer’s interview with Will Compton and Taylor Lewan on “Bussin’ With The Boys”, and the Alabama head coach said the rumors are false, adding that the chip on players’ shoulders grew even more because of what was being said.

“We didn’t play well, but I think the noise that people just want to make things up that are not real about what’s going on the night before are completely false,” DeBoer said. “You know, those are the things that just add to the chip on their shoulder that I’ve held on to, I know our team’s held on to, that aren’t who we are. You know, it’s not the character of us. I mean, these guys are all in and are doing the right things. That’s what I’ve reminded them of, and again, we can’t control what everyone else wants to run with, whatever storyline or how they feel, and we’ve just kept enough of it alive because we don’t want to take away the focus from what’s really important. That’s our preparation when we step on the football field tomorrow at practice, and that’s what really matters.

Alabama has not lost a game since the season opener, and next up for the Crimson Tide is an away game against Missouri this Saturday.