Julio Jones: DeBoer’s pick of Tide alumni and how players embody him today

For years, Nick Saban piled up first-round draft picks at a rate college football had never seen. The number of Pro Bowlers sent to the NFL from here in Tuscaloosa has not only rivaled but dominated even the most elite programs across the nation. With that being said, it's rather obvious that it would take a hall-of-fame-type talent to sit amongst the top in terms of talent and career success.

It's also rather obvious that Julio Jones is somehow all of that... and then some. The 13-year career that Jones enjoyed was largely spent as one of the best two or three receivers in the game; he was considered borderline unguardable for most of the 2010s. Needless to say, anyone who knows Alabama football knows he was just as dominant during his days in crimson. Yet somehow, his biggest impact came in a way that the stat sheet can't tell you.

He has always been discussed as one of the key pieces that not only helped rebuild Alabama football, but helped sustain it in a way that only one thing can: culture. What made the Nick Saban teams so special was the fact that when the greatest coach of all time wasn't talking to you, an NFL Pro Bowler and team captain was talking to you. Players like Julio Jones, AJ McCarron, Mark Ingram, and CJ Mosely laid a foundation that would be built upon for years, and is now ready to sustain itself, even without Saban at the helm.

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The reason in me saying all of this is the result of a question asked by a fan on Wednesday's 'Hey Coach' Show with Kalen DeBoer. He was asked which former Alabama player he would most want to coach. DeBoer's official answer? You guessed it. Mr. Julio Jones.

"I had a chance to sit down and talk with him... the intentionality, the focus he had, the intensity. I could see that being a lot of fun," said coach DeBoer. But it got me thinking, do the captains and leaders of DeBoer's first two teams do right by guys like Julio and uphold the Alabama standard? My vote is yes.

See, the thing is, while the Crimson Tide produced some of the best leaders in the sport, they were talented enough and deep enough to practically coach and motivate themselves to most wins. But in today's era of college football, talent distribution is at an all-time high, and rosters are as evenly matched as ever. In my opinion, the role of a captain of today is tougher than that of the leader of an earlier 2000s program, especially in Tuscaloosa. Last year's four captains were quarterback Jalen Milroe, guard Tyler Booker, safety Malachi Moore, and linebacker Deontae Lawson.

They were tasked with some of the same insurmountable tasks that coach DeBoer was tasked with in his first season. They had to come together collectively and help hold the ship steady at a time when everyone on earth was lining up to try and sink it. The first three were all hailed as world-class teammates and shipped off to the NFL within the first three rounds of the draft. Deontae Lawson, despite being the signal caller and effectively the on-field leader of the defense, decided to return to handle business he and many others deemed unfinished.

So far this year, all three of the new captains have seemed to find their role as well. Ty Simpson has become the de facto general of this team when it comes to players. His pregame and halftime speeches have gone viral recently, as he was deemed "Saban's last project" in several of the videos. Tim Keenan entered the year as the prime candidate to anchor the defensive line, but injuries held him out until the matchup with Georgia in week five. Despite his on-field absence, his leadership was felt from the sidelines and in the locker room as much as anyone's. Rounding out this year's group is the center Parker Brailsford. He is the lone captain who was not recruited by Saban, instead transferring alongside coach DeBoer from Washington. The play of both him and his offensive line has allowed Ty Simpson to become one of the midseason Heisman front-runners.

These young men weren't tasked with the creation of a dynasty in the way of guys like Julio and Ingram; they may have just found themselves in an even more difficult spot. With or without Nick Saban, it's national championship or bust at Alabama. Guys like Milroe and Moore, or now Simpson and Keenan, are now responsible for upholding a standard set long before them.

You may be asking why it's more difficult; as for an answer to that question, I'll leave you with a quote from author G. Michael Hopf: "Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Weak men create hard times."