Crimson Chapters:Chapter 3

Page 1

An oral history of the University of Alabama’s football season, as told by the people who lived it

Quarterback competition

staff photo | robert sutton

staff photo | erin nelson

Alabama quarterback Jake Coker, left, saw his first playing time with the Crimson Tide against Florida Atlantic. Blake Sims, right, earned the start for the game against FAU.

By Tommy Deas

Executive Sports Editor

The biggest mystery coming into the University of Alabama’s 2014 football season was who would play quarterback. With the departure of three-year starter AJ McCarron for the National Football League after a collegiate career that saw him win two national championships, the Crimson Tide faced a void under center. No clear leader emerged during spring practice, and Jake Coker entered the mix after transferring from Florida State, where he had backed up Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston during FSU’s run to the national title. Coker came to UA with a lot of hype and was practically anointed as the starter in media reports before fall practice even began. It came

down to Blake Sims and Coker competing for the starting nod. Many were surprised when Sims played every snap in UA’s season-opening victory over West Virginia, but the two candidates split snaps in early-September games against Florida Atlantic and Southern Miss before Sims finally settled as the clear winner.

Lane Kiffin, offensive coordinator: From the first day we got here there were a lot of questions about Blake, how he would perform, whether he was even a quarterback. Brought in a transfer that the assumption was that the transfer, Jake, would be the starting quarterback. And never once did Blake bring that up. Never once did he question that. All he did was go to work.

Nick Saban, head coach: I would like to see somebody take the Jake Coker, bull by the horns from a leadership standjunior quarterback: point, a consistency standpoint and win Blake’s always been really good to me. the job here sometime. But we’re not going He was the first guy to come up to me and to make a decision until somebody does welcome me to the program and introduce that. himself on my visits. He’s a special guy. Continued


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