Alabama Fan-Favorite Center Landon Dickerson Puts Fun in Football: "I Enjoy Every Second of Every Day"
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — If Alabama football redshirt-senior center Landon Dickerson wasn’t already a fan-favorite lineman, this past weekend solidified it.
In the Crimson Tide’s contest at LSU in Tiger Stadium, Dickerson put on quite the spectacle.
You might have seen him show off his dance moves:
Or maybe you saw him display his Oscar-worthy acting abilities:
Either way, Dickerson put on a show on Saturday night in Baton Rouge, and not just in the laughs department.
Alabama’s offensive line has been nothing but outstanding this season. At LSU, the front five only allowed quarterback Mac Jones to get hit on one occasion, and also surrendered only one sack with Bryce Young taking the snap.
While Dickerson is clearly enjoying himself on the gridiron, he said during his availability with the media on Tuesday afternoon that he and his teammates have set a standard that they try to live up to.
“I think we’ve set a pretty good standard of how to play, and it’s not just this year,” Dickerson said. “There’s always been a standard here of excellence when it comes to play, no matter what position you’re at. For new offensive linemen coming in, just be ready because we’re gonna expect a lot out of you. The standard that we play to and the standard that we’re expected to meet every day is above and beyond what a lot of people really realize, and I think that’s what really makes us a quality team full of good players — every day you’re challenged to be the best player you can be.”
After transferring for his final two years of eligibility to Alabama from Florida State, Dickerson’s laid-back, fun nature quickly caught the attention of Crimson Tide fans. While his on-the-field antics are certainly what drew fans to him in the first place, his skills on the field are what have maintained their interest.
Jones said that while Dickerson is quite comical, he backs up his sense of humor by being a solid leader of the offensive line.
“Landon’s definitely a great guy, and I’m glad that he’s out there having fun because he just makes it better for everybody,” Jones said. “At the end of the day he’s having fun, and he’s obviously doing a great job with protections and keeping the line altogether as on. So they’re operating as a unit, and I think Landon’s a big part of that. But it takes all five of them.
“I’m just glad to have Landon. He’s a great addition to our team. Makes everything fun during practice, and as you all see in the games, he obviously makes it fun, too.”
If the mantra of ‘Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life’ is true, then Dickerson is a prime example of it. While the sport of football can be quite strenuous at both the college and NFL levels, Dickerson exemplifies his love of the game each and every week.
The Outland Trophy semifinalist said that many see football as a business, he doesn't see the reason why it can't be a profession while at the same time be fun.
“I think the biggest thing is a lot of people can see this as a business, and it is really, it can be a business at times,” Dickerson said. “But I really think that I enjoy just football in every aspect when it comes to playing, being around teammates, just the camaraderie, anything that really goes with it. I enjoy every second of every day that I’m here and every day that I’m around my teammates and coaches and everybody here. It really just comes down to I enjoy what I do here, and I’m thankful. And the times that we can show it and show that we enjoy it and that we’re having fun with the game, I think that’s a really big part of playing any kind of sport.”
And his reasoning behind the Oscar-worthy flop against LSU?
“I wouldn’t say that it’s practiced,” Dickerson joked. “It’s late contact after the play. Usually, that can draw a penalty, but I think the refs may have saw it a little differently. It may go to review with the referees and stuff this week, but we’ll see what comes out of that.”
Never change, Landon Dickerson. Never change.
