Kalen DeBoer Reveals Alabama's New 'Shut Up' Motto

When Alabama fell to Florida State in the season opener, the college football world assumed the worst.

They said the dynasty was over, head coach Kalen DeBoer had to go and that the team won't keep up with today's game. Alabama players and coaches will usually say that they don't hear or read about what's said, but the mecca of the sport was ferociously attacked after that loss and it was impossible not to notice.

Fast forward to today, Alabama is 5-1 as we close in on the midway point of the season. The Crimson Tide has won three consecutive games against ranked opponents, the most recent being against then-No. 14 Missouri on Saturday, and finds itself ranked No. 6 in the latest AP Top 25. Alabama has a new identity and DeBoer shared on Monday what he’s learned about the team over the course of the season.

“It's been a fight for these guys, because it's not just those three games," DeBoer said. "We've had our backs to the wall since Week 1, and there's a bye week in there. So, I think they've done a great job of taking whatever it is that is against us or whatever the doubt is that people have for our team, and taking that energy and just pouring it into what matters most. And that's our preparation."

DeBoer explained that "there's a confidence that we've built through some things,s" and it all started with the team "just really being intentional on the work that we're doing." These efforts have created a new motto in the locker room.

"We refer to it as 'Shut up, show up and do the work,'" DeBoer said. "I mean, that's just really what we've gotta hone in on. And in everything we do, we just have an urgency level. And I'm really proud of the guys for not falling off that standard that we had, because that's what human nature is. You get comfortable."

"We've had five wins in a row now, and our conference and the schedule keeps you from that. That's one thing that keeps you from falling off the standard, because every week, if you don't, you know you're gonna be in trouble. And so, I'm just proud of the way the guys have been resilient in the moments that matter most."

Three of Alabama's six remaining regular-season games are against teams that are currently ranked inside the top 15. Maintaining this "shut up, show up and do the work" motto will be pivotal over the next couple of months and beyond.

"Just continue to also understand how we've got there, and it's through hard work," DeBoer said. "It's through a lot of those things I said earlier with the team and the buy-in to each other, not wanting to let their teammates down. And so, again, we got a lot of room for improvement. You've heard from the coordinators and the areas that we've fallen short and the things that we feel we can do better.”