The Alabama football team has several on-field issues that need addressing. CBS Sports analyst and former Alabama running back Damien Harris highlighted a moment before Alabama’s 24-17 loss to Tennessee that he feels encapsulates the team’s current mindset. He pointed to Josh Chapman, the team’s director of player development and a former player, arriving at Neyland Stadium with a cigar in hand.
Pre-game cigar sighting as Alabama arrives 👀 pic.twitter.com/HCU1ZvVHou
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) October 19, 2024
“That really caught me off guard,” Harris said on the “Until Saturday” podcast. “Why? Because I know who that is. He’s someone who was around when Saban was here, played for him, coached with him. And I’m just thinking, really? Really?
“We’re just abandoning everything that made Alabama what it was. We’ve got coaches showing up smoking cigars before the game even starts. That’s going to become a meme for who knows how long. What does Nick Saban always say? About ignoring the ‘rat poison’ and media narratives? He used to tell us to act like every opponent was the best team in the world, to show respect, and to play the right way.
“Walking off the bus smoking cigars in the stadium? That’s not it. To me, it reflects the whole mentality. This Alabama team’s results are what they are because of things like that.”
