Hares, Hogs, And The Hunting Trips That Cemented Ty Simpson As A Leader

The world of hunting is one where the hunter is subject to the trials of his environment. Nothing happens on his schedule. He can spend hours in the same spot, scanning his surroundings, waiting for the perfect moment — and if he moves one instant too soon, he loses his chance. It’s a skill built almost entirely on patience.

That same patience has defined Ty Simpson’s career at Alabama.

After entering his redshirt freshman season in 2023 as a strong contender for the starting quarterback job, Simpson was beaten out by Jalen Milroe.

He waited— quietly, patiently.

After Milroe led Alabama to the Rose Bowl that year, it was clear that he would retain the starting job for 2024. Nick Saban retired, and new head coach Kalen DeBoer brought Austin Mack, a four-star freshman whom he recruited, with him to Tuscaloosa. Nobody would have faulted Simpson for entering the portal at this time. In many ways, it seemed like the rational decision.

But Simpson stayed and waited— quietly, patiently.

The ability to simply sit and wait is something of a lost art in today's day and age. The current world of college sports where athletes flock to the portal at the drop of a hat is allegorical of a society that is hyper-obsessed with the idea of instant gratification. Simply put, few people are willing to just wait their turn.

Simpson could have had hundreds of thousands of dollars and a starting job at a Power Four school. The former five-star recruit could have a full year of experience as a starter under his belt right now. But years of patience finally paid off on Monday, as Simpson was announced as the starting quarterback for Alabama.

A look into Simpson's life off the field paints a clear picture of how he was able to exercise the patience required to be in his current position: he loves hunting. Simpson has been very open about his affinity for the hobby in the past, even being named one of the first four ambassadors of Crimson Tide Outdoors, which sells official Alabama-licensed camouflage outdoor apparel. Simpson called the partnership "a true honor."

He got to put that apparel to good use over the summer, as he organized multiple hunting trips for his teammates.

"Ty hit me up and was like, 'Hey, you trying to go hog hunting?' So I was like, 'Alright, bet I'll do it,'" defensive lineman Tim Keenan said. "So the time came, and I had my camo on and all that. I'm a Bama boy. Going to that place, riding down there, having that experience, looking through the night vision goggles, seeing all the creatures, it was pretty fun. We were shooting at some pretty big hogs, man. That experience was cool."

The consensus among players is that Simpson and safety Bray Hubbard are the best hunters on the team. Hubbard is the other member of the football team signed by Crimson Tide Outdoors, and he was extremely enthusiastic about getting to go on the trips with the team.

"Football is my first love, hunting is probably my second," Hubbard said. "Some guys have never done that, they don't know what it's like. It was great getting out there... Guys were like, 'What is this,' and I was just like, 'Oh, we're going to have a good time.'"

Hubbard lamented not being able to go hunting often due to most of the hunting season conflicting with the football season. While he and Simpson were shooting rabbits and hogs with ease, other players were having trouble adjusting to the wilderness.

"We went on a rabbit hunt, and I ain't ever been hunting before," running back Jam Miller said. "So I'm ready, I got full camo on, full camo with my orange hat. So Ty ends up shooting a rabbit, and then a little later, Ty gives me his gun while we're walking through the woods. Now everybody's screaming at me that one's coming my way, so be ready.

"So I'm ready, and then the next thing I know, it just zooms by me. I ain't even have a chance to shoot it, I didn't even have my gun ready. So that was a fun moment, but I told him I don't ever want to go rabbit hunting again. That's got to be the hardest hunting ever."

LT Overton has made a name for himself through his relentless pursuit of quarterbacks, leading the Crimson Tide with nine quarterback hurries in 2024. Still, he quickly learned that pursuing a pocket passer and pursuing a wild animal are two very different things.

"I'm not going to lie, trying to chase those rabbits around, they're literally in your face and then zip, zip, they're out of there," Overton said.

Keenan and right tackle Wilkin Formby also confessed to being unable to shoot anything on the hunting trips they took with Simpson. Despite being a Tuscaloosa native, Formby had surprisingly never actually been hunting.

"That hunting trip was fun," Formby said. "I grew up in Alabama, people think I'm a hunter and stuff like that, but I'd never really been hunting. So to be able to do stuff like that and get that experience was really fun."

Those hunting trips were just a small part of the work Simpson has done to grow team chemistry this summer, with teammates citing numerous events and get-togethers thrown by the quarterback, which is indicative of the growth Simpson has experienced as a leader as he prepares to be a figurehead on Alabama's 2025 roster.

"Ty's done a great job stepping up in that leadership role," Formby said. "He's being very vocal, but he's leading by example. He's bringing the intensity every single day, and so I think that's really helping. Off the field, our relationship has gotten a lot better this past offseason."

Miller arrived on campus alongside Simpson as a part of the 2022 recruiting class, and has noticed massive changes in his demeanor from the time they were taking scout team reps together as freshmen to the present day.

"Ty really has turned a corner," Miller said. "He just has that energy now. He's hyping guys up, getting guys ready on and off the field."

While the majority of the players who were on the trip did cite Hubbard as the best hunter of the team— a sentiment that Hubbard himself agreed with— Keenan immediately said that the title belonged to his quarterback.

"Of course, Ty," Keenan said. "Last time we went rabbit hunting, he got a rabbit. Bugs Bunny, he got him."

For better or for worse, Alabama's 2025 season now rests firmly in the hands of Simpson. There are a multitude of reasons for analysts and fans to be excited about the Crimson Tide having Simpson under center. His pocket presence is exceptional, he has NFL-level arm strength, his release is a thing of beauty and he has deceiving mobility with excellent footwork that will allow him to extend plays that break down.

But Keenan, perhaps enlightened by his time in the woods, believes that what makes Simpson stand out is the same exact thing that makes his journey to the starting job so special: his mentality.

"It takes poise and it takes patience to be in the position he's in, waiting his turn and working while he's been waiting," Keenan said. "To see him step into the limelight that he's about to step into, I'm happy for him. He's been handling it well. His confidence has been there. His play has been there. I can't wait to see what he does on the field."

Simpson has overcome the trials of his environment. He has adapted to his surroundings while waiting years for the perfect moment to arise. Now, he finally has his shot. All that's left to do is pull the trigger.

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