Just saw that segment on SEC Now about Georgia and Oklahoma facing off in Week 4 and all I could think about was how we used to build teams from the ground up with walk ons and three star kids who wanted to bleed for the program. Now every time I turn around there is another portal entry or some NIL deal being announced and I just do not reognize what we have become. Back in the 1994 season we had guys like that linebacker who walked on and became a starter by his junior year because he worked harder than anybody else on the roster. You do not see that anymore. Kids show up for spring practice and if they are not starting by the second week they are already putting their name in the portal.
The walk on culture at Alabama used to mean something. It was a badge of honor. You came in with nothing to prove except that you loved the game and you loved this university. Coach Bryant built the whole program on that philosophy. You take a kid from a small town in Alabama who grew up dreaming of putting on that crimson jersey and you let him earn his spot through sweat and grit. Now these kids are shopping their talents around like they are free agents in the NFL. I watched a segment the other day where they talked about how Colorado brought in 43 transfers and everyone is calling it innovative. I call it a disgrace to what college football used to stand for.
We had a walk on in the late 90s who used to clean the locker room after practice just to stay on the roster. He ended up getting a scholarship his senior year and made a tackle on special teams in the Iron Bowl. That moment meant more to him than any NIL check ever could. These kids today will never understand what it feels like to earn something the hard way. The portal killed that. NIL killed that. And the worst part is nobody seems to care because the money is flowing and the highlight reels keep playing.
I will say this though. Even with all the changes we are still Alabama and we still have the best tradition in college football. But I miss the days when a walk on could become a legend and when loyalty actually meant something. Those days are gone and I do not think they are ever coming back.