No amount of talent can be enough to overcome a deficiency in player leadership. All through the Saban era, Alabama football has been blessed with strong player leadership. The leadership discovery and identification process begins anew with each new roster.
Coaches provide invaluable leadership for players, but for a team to reach its potential, it takes more than coaching leadership. Players need teammates to follow and emulate. Especially at crunch time, player leaders, by force of will, can affect the outcome of a game.
There is a past story about Dont’a Hightower in 2010. Hightower was unable to exercise adequate leadership when a reeling Alabama football defense was in dire need.