Germie Bernard Says JaMarcus Shephard Coaches Alabama Receivers with 'Tough Love'

The Crimson Tide's wide receiver coach was shown during the Missouri game passionately getting onto his position group.

Nov 30, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide Assistant Head Coach JaMarcus Shephard during warm ups before a game against the Auburn Tigers at Bryant-Denny Stadium. | Will McLelland-Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer is known for his generally steady demeanor on the sidelines during games, but the same can't be said for all of his assistants.

Crimson Tide wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator JaMarcus Shephard was seen before Saturday's game at Missouri giving his position group an impassioned speech to get fired up during pregame warmups.

JaMarcus Shephard getting the WRs fired up pic.twitter.com/1J9hounAnZ

— Katie Windham (@katiewindham_) October 11, 2025

However, the moment that grabbed more people's attention came during the third quarter in a moment highlighted on ABC's broadcast of Shephard lighting into his receivers, specifically Isaiah Horton, after Alabama had to punt on its second offensive possession of the second half.

😳 pic.twitter.com/EkaoDLNyQw

— Brett Greenberg (@BrettGreenberg_) October 11, 2025

The Alabama offense turned the ball over coming out of the half and then had to punt on the next possession, allowing Missouri to get back into the game. On the next offensive possession after Shephard got onto the receivers, Alabama went down the field in a 17-play, 66-yard drive that took nine minutes off the clock, resulting in a field goal.

Alabama's top-two receivers on the season, Germie Bernard and Ryan Williams, both recorded stats well under their season average. Bernard had three catches for 20 yards, and Williams did not have a catch; however, he was dealing with an injury according to DeBoer.

The Crimson Tide's top-four receivers, Bernard, Williams, Horton and Lotzeir Brooks, only had 10 combined receptions on the day. Ty Simpson's other 13 completions went to tight ends, running backs and center Parker Brailsford on a deflection.

"It’s tough love," Bernard said of the sideline moment with Shephard. "He has a standard for us, and we’re not playing up to the standard, and he’s going to let us have it. Obviously, people have seen that on Saturday during the game. We get that from him every day, so it’s not nothing new to us. We just know we have to play better, execute better. That’s all."

Shephard has one of the deepest wide receiving corps in the country to work with. Bernard, Horton and Williams all have at least 270 receiving yards on the season, and Brooks has been a breakout star as a true freshman. Behind those four, Alabama also has capable and dynamic receivers like Cole Adams, Rico Scott and Derek Meadows waiting in the wings.

This week's opponent, No. 11 Tennessee, could be a good opportunity for the wide receivers to get back on track as the Volunteers have the 123rd-ranked passing defense in the country at 257.8 passing yards per game. No. 6 Alabama will take on the Volunteers inside Bryant-Denny Stadium this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on ABC.