Coach Saban continues to put the pieces in place to dominate the state, the S.E.C., and eventually the nation.  At his introductory press conference he stated that his staff had a goal to dominate the other school in the state 365 days a year and they are well on their way with 12 instate commitments compared to the barn which has only one.  He assembled a staff which are not only excellent on the field coaches, but excel at recruiting as well.  Saban has now put the next piece of the puzzle into place by hiring the former 2003 Alabama team captain, Lance Taylor as a graduate assistant.  Lance started his new position as BAMA was finishing up their last summer football camp and he says that was a very exciting experience for him. 

Coming out of high school Lance knew there was only one place he wanted to play, ALABAMA.   Though he could have gone somewhere else, he walked on the team in '99 and began playing special teams as a red shirt sophomore. He earned a full scholarship and then played in 38 straight games at Alabama. Since graduating he has played arena football for the Colorado Crush, the Green Bay Blizzard, Columbus Destroyers and Louisville Fire and was trying out for the new All American Football league when he tore his ACL.  He was coaching wide receivers at his old high school in Mobile when he received the call from the university.  Lance drove up, interviewed with Coach Saban and the staff, and was shown around the facilities.  “Tuscaloosa just feels like home.  It always has.  It’s the only place I ever wanted to play, never even wanted to go anywhere else.  My dad played there in the 70’s under Coach Bryant,  was a member of the 1973 national championship team and still currently holds a rushing record at the University;  then I played there, my brother went there, my sister is about to start there, and I want my kids to go there” said Lance.   “When I got up there it just felt right.  It felt like home and was just too good of an opportunity to pass up.” 

Lance had passed up other opportunities before, but this was different.  This was momma calling; this was an opportunity to learn from the best.  The ultimate dream for Lance would be to become a full time coach, in a full time position at ALABAMA.  “That’s where my heart is, that’s where I’ve always been…” “Alabama is so fond in my heart.  I just love the place and really don’t want to go anywhere else.”  While he realizes his career will probably lead to many open doors, he says he would be happy to spend the rest of his career right there in Tuscaloosa.

While Lance was a player he was nominated team captain, awarded the Charlie Compton award for displaying the most Christian attitude, on and off the field, and set a few team records for lifting while at ALABAMA.  Lance thought back on that time.  “It was an honor but along with that comes a lot of responsibility, especially at a place like ALABAMA where football is so huge.  Anywhere and everywhere you go people are going to know you.  You are constantly looked at, you’re constantly under a microscope, but I enjoyed that.  As a young kid growing up I heard stories of Bear Bryant and the glory days. I can remember going to a game against Tennessee when I was around 12 years old and crying after the game, not because we had lost, but because we had tied!!   All I wanted to do was play football for Bama.  I was living my dream everyday just walking the campus.  What people don’t see though are the hours of hard work that you put in.  You are working like it’s your job; football basically becomes your job in college, as a student athlete and trying to juggle both.  A lot of people see all the glitz and glamour and getting to run out of the tunnel to 92,000 screaming and cheering fans, but what they don’t see is all of the hours of hard work. I think that student athletes work as hard, if not harder, than anybody else, because we have to spend so many hours at practice, in the weight room, watching film, focusing on academics, and trying to juggle it all.”

When asked about some of his fonder memories at BAMA he says a touchdown catch that he made against the barn his senior year is one that most fans remember him by. The catch was Sportscenter's  top play of the week, it made CNN Sport's college football play of the year, and was shown during that years ESPY's Award Show.  “My greatest game was my junior year when we played Oklahoma in Norman.  They were ranked #1 in the nation at the time. We were getting beat by 20 points at halftime but in the second half I blocked a punt and then returned another blocked punt for a TD.  That sparked a rally and a comeback where we were up by 4 points with less than 2 minutes left to go in the game. Oklahoma came back and on their last drive.  They scored and wound up beating us. So, it was my greatest game and most crushing loss all in one.”  His favorite game was beating the barn 31-7 at the barn and seeing the fans pouring out of the stadium, “by the fourth quarter the only fans left in stadium were ALABAMA fans.  We rocked the house.”       

Lance was unfortunate enough to be at the Capstone during the coaching ordeal that caused him to have four different coaches during his four years at ALABAMA.  “It was very difficult for the team and just about the time that we started getting some team chemistry and having some success we would get a new coach.  Every coach has their own system and style, and it changes everything.  They want things done their own way and they will have their own preferences to players.”  Lance said it was especially tough for him growing up in the era that ALABAMA won the National Championship under Coach Stallings and listening to stories from his father about playing under Coach Bryant when they dominated everybody they played.  His freshman year of 1999 he came to the Capstone with hopes of returning the program to dominance and they won the SEC Championship, won ten games and went to the Orange Bowl, then in 2000 they only won 3 games, the following year they won ten again, only to follow that up in Shula’s first year to win only three once again.

Lance discussed the team meeting of the departure of Fran and Price.  He says the players felt betrayed by Fran, not because he left, but because of the way he left and that he didn’t come back to say goodbye.  From the players stand point they would not have been mad if he had left, but they were just mad at how he left,” it left a bitter taste in our mouths.”  Lance says “He may have been afraid of the fans and what they would have done to him if he came back to the state.” Coach Torbush, appearing almost shocked himself came back and told the team the news but made it clear that he wanted to stay with the program. The Price incident left everybody shell shocked.  “By that point we were just numb, especially the seniors, we had gone through three head coaches, and it was just like “What else could go wrong?  It was like someone was out to kill us with everything that had gone on.  It was really disbelief.” 

Lance says that part of the reason he came back is to be a part of restoring the dominance to the program once again.  The excitement surrounding Coach Saban and the expectation of him returning the program to one of the elite is what lured him back.  “This coaching staff and what we’re doing is going to rebuild ALABAMA football, I really believe that. It’s an exciting time to be part of ALABAMA football.  I want to be part of an SEC Championship.  I want to be part of a National Championship, a part of the dominance and I believe that is what we are building.”

Welcome home Lance.

www.RollCrimsonTide.com is a personally owned Alabama fan site and
is not affliliated with or endorsed by the University of Alabama®
Alabama logos are property of The University of Alabama®