He took to the podium with a lot of emotion last year because Alabama’s defense struggled to find consistency.
As a sophomore, Will Anderson exploded as a star at outside linebacker and vowed to Crimson Tide fans that the defense would be fast and physical. His words took root late in 2021, and he became a permanent team captain, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Bronko Nagurski Award recipient, Unanimous First-Team All-American, and Heisman Trophy finalist. He fell short of winning a College Football Playoff National Championship, but Anderson knows why it happened. Alabama had most players interested in team goals, but a few had ambitions for themselves, and the locker room was not together.