TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Now, more than a year after Kalen DeBoer replaced perhaps the greatest coach in college football history, his Alabama players don't necessarily sense that he's a different person.
But they do sense a subtle difference as the second spring practice under DeBoer winds down this week.
"Coach DeBoer had his battles last year, replacing a legend like coach [Nick] Saban in the middle of the transfer portal, and it was hard to implement everything the way he wanted," said linebacker Deontae Lawson, a returning captain.
"It was kinda hard for him to come in and be the bad cop or whatever last year.