Patience Paid Off: Fifth-Year Seniors to Close Crimson Tide Careers in Fourth Championship Game
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INDIANAPOLIS — Monday night will be the final chapter in the story of the 2021 Alabama football team. No one knows what exactly the ending will be yet, but it has already been quite the journey for this year’s team.
Throughout the ups and downs of the season, Alabama head coach Nick Saban has pointed out that this is a younger team full of a lot of players that had only experienced success throughout their careers in Tuscaloosa until the loss to Texas A&M in early October.
"I think that losing a game gave our team an opportunity to mature," Saban said. "We have a really, really young team. We don't have very many seniors that play a significant role, I don't know, three or four starters on the whole team. So I think with young players who sort of had a lot of success in terms of wins prior to the Texas A&M game, maybe a lost respect for winning or what it takes to prepare to win on a consistent basis.
"I think it made people realize the importance of leadership, setting a good example, holding each other accountable. I think there were a lot of internal lessons that actually helped this team mature and grow."
Two of those seniors that do start and play a significant role are defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis and running back Brian Robinson Jr. Both fifth-year players have consistently been praised by their teammates for their ability and leadership.
Monday night will be the final game in a Crimson Tide uniform for Mathis and Robinson, and they want to make sure they go out the right way: winning another national championship.
Being part of the program for five years, the rematch against Georgia in Lucas Oil Stadium will be the fourth national championship game they have experienced as players.
Mathis said he has been motivating younger guys on the team this week that he know how it feels to win and how it feels to lose in these types of games, and that they don't want to be on the losing side.
"Just playing for the national championship, that's always the goal when you come to Bama," Mathis said. "And it's just the standard that always been set since I've been here. I believe the goal is to play in a national championship and don't settle for nothing less."
After redshirting his freshman year, Mathis has gradually seen his role increase along the defensive front year-by-year culminating in an outstanding final lap. This year, Mathis is seventh on the team in total tackles with 49 and is only behind Will Anderson Jr. on the team in sacks with nine.
Throughout the season, players have pointed to Mathis' infections energy and the way he can always keep his teammates up, even when things aren't going well. Anderson, the nation's leader in sacks, said playing next to Mathis gives him confidence.
"I swear Phil rubs off on me," Anderson said. "He gives me so much energy on the field. When he make a play, I make a play or I make a play, he makes a play. Every time we both make plays we're right there together celebrating. I'm so happy and so blessed to be playing besides some guys like that that are really talented and really good."
On the offensive side, even with the Heisman trophy winner at quarterback, Alabama would be lost this season without the production of Robinson. The running back who grew up in Tuscaloosa has patiently waited his turn to become the starting running back at Alabama after serving as a backup for four years.
Three Crimson Tide running backs have gone down with season-ending injuries, and Robinson has dealt with injuries himself. Yet, he's willing to due whatever is asked of him whether that's only carrying the ball 13 or 15 times like he did against LSU and Florida, or shouldering the bulk of the offensive load with 26 or 36 carries against Cincinnati or Ole Miss.
After his career-best 204-yard performance against Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl, Robinson said he, "literally put all my heart into this university." He has 1,275 yards and 14 touchdowns on 249 carries this season.
Their Alabama teammates want to make sure that Robinson, Mathis and other redshirt seniors like Daniel Wright, Christopher Allen, LaBryan Ray and Chris Owens go out the right way.
"All week I've been, like, 'Phil [Mathis], we've got to get you one before you get out of here,'" Anderson said. "That's just been the type of energy we've been having around the program right now these last few practices and making sure everybody's on the same page, so we can get the job done and get these guys out of here the right way."
Robinson is ready to leave it all on the field for his hometown team one last time when Alabama and Georgia meet in Indianapolis Monday night at 7 p.m.
"My mentality is just I want to lay it all on the line for my team, for my school, with this being my last time suiting up for Alabama, I just want to leave no doubt that this university is like truly in my heart, and I love it," Robinson said. "And I'll do anything to see us come out on top one more last time before I have to leave."
