Alabama Crimson Tide College Football Pregame Quote, 12/29/2021

I’m very excited. It’s a dream come true. I feel like, growing up as a kid, you dream of being in this position. So I’m just happy to be here. It’s a blessing.

Just wanted to ask you the ties to Birmingham and obviously playing in big games, but playing high school football in the Birmingham area, how did that prepare you for big games? Obviously, you played in a lot of big ones last year and preparing going into this year as well at Clay-Chalkville.

I feel it started just growing up, you know, growing up with the kids at school, everything was all about competition, even in P.E. just playing against each other, but playing against the best competition growing up, even from Little League, just prepared me for this situation and even carrying over to middle school and high school, playing against some good guys and guys who I’ve played against in college. Yeah, I’ve been playing in big games for a while.

I know we talked to the Cincinnati guys yesterday, and we know what point they’re trying to prove by beating the number one team in America. What statement could Alabama make by finishing this job, not only winning this game, but winning another national championship? What further would that say about this program that maybe hasn’t been said yet?

For, like, right now in this season, I feel like it would just show consistency. We showed flashes of the team that we could be and, like, the potential that we have. So I feel like that’s what we are focused on right now, just being consistent. And like you said, just finishing, finishing the season strong. And I feel like we have good seasons year in and year out, but it’s time to finish.

The offensive line for you guys had a really big game against Georgia. How have you seen that group grow throughout the course of this season?

I mean, they’ve grown a lot. I feel like they have a lot of chemistry. It was a lot of missing pieces because we lost a lot last year, but they just kept their head down and worked hard through all the negative comments or whatever was said about the offensive line. They just took it. They had a chip on their shoulder. They had a point to prove. And I feel like they’ve done that, and I feel like they’ve come together and just, over time, they’ve grown and just been consistent. I feel like that’s how they got better.

You’re a big run stopper for the Tide. And Jerome Ford is having an excellent season for Cincinnati. How do you plan on slowing him down this week?

Just doing my job. I mean, Jerome is a great player. He’s a real good back, a very great back. So just being disciplined and doing what I can do, just playing the right technique and just doing my job, nothing more, nothing less.

I was impressed that you started out talking about this being a dream and being a blessing to be here. Most people expect Alabama to expect to be here. So how do you keep from taking it for granted?

I really haven’t even thought about that. That’s just the way I am, honestly. I feel like just, over time, you have a lot of ups and downs throughout life. So you just got to be grateful for what you have and just make the best of every opportunity that you have. And that’s the way I go about everything.

Going back to your own offensive line, how have you seen Emil [Ekiyor Jr.] grow throughout the season and improve in the interior?

Emil, you know, he’s an older guy on the offensive line. He’s become very vocal over the course of the season. And I feel like that kind of, when you become more of a vocal guy, you kind of hold yourself accountable, like, when you speak up. And I feel like he knows that. So he’s been on ‚Äì I don’t know what’s the word, but he’s been doing very well.

Back to the fact of you just growing up in Birmingham with Alabama in your backyard, I don’t know, but I’m assuming maybe you were a fan growing up as a kid. So how surreal is it playing for the in-state school now and now going to two straight college football playoffs?

Actually, I wasn’t a fan ‚Äì like, I wasn’t always a fan growing up. I was ‚Äì I started off as a Texas fan because I liked Vince Young and I was playing quarterback and stuff in Little League. So that was my team.

But after he left, I became an Alabama fan. But it is a dream come true just from watching the games with my brothers and uncles and picturing me on the field someday. So I just try to take in every moment and not take it for granted. So sometimes you just wake up and you’re really living your dreams. And I’m thankful for that.

DJ, what have you seen from Cincinnati’s offensive line on film that might be different or unique or similar to another team you’ve played against in your career at Alabama? And have you watched the interior player? One of their players on the offensive line is 6’9″. What can you tell us about him?

They all good offensive linemen. They play together very well. They’re very good on the combos. They just work very well together. I feel like that’s why they’re a good running team, because all of the pieces work together. And they play with a lot of energy and a lot of effort and a lot of toughness.

How ‚Äì just for you personally. Like your favorite experience and maybe something that’s like, man, you know, this is a bummer.

I haven’t had really any bummers, I would say. I mean, I’m just happy to be here, honestly. So that’s kind of my high. I’ve been on a high this whole time. I’m just happy to be here.

If I remember correctly, you scored a few touchdowns when you were at Clay-Chalkville High School, lining up in the backfield on goal line situations. Have you ever gotten in Coach [Bill] O’Brien’s ear when you get to the goal line and say, hey, man, put me in? Or is scoring touchdowns overrated?

No, it’s definitely not overrated. I mean, you know, I actually have joked around with him and asked him, we joke about it a lot. But it’s not nothing that I, like, press him about or anything like that. It’s whatever. If I get one, I get one. And I’ll be happy to do that. But I joke with him a lot though.

I wanted to ask you about your Head Coach Nick Saban. What is your favorite Nick Saban story since you’ve played with him?

Favorite story? It would probably be one of his jokes or something like that. I don’t know. I can’t really think about it right here on the spot, but it probably just one of the jokes he’s said.

So DJ, I want to know, like, in all realness, the fact that these playoffs and this bowl season have been so different these past two years, do you feel like you guys are missing out on anything, or has it become second nature after going through it last year in the pandemic?

I don’t feel like we’re missing out on anything, but I feel like for us, we came here to play a football game and to win a football game. So everything else, it really doesn’t matter to me. I assume that’s how the whole team feels, but I can’t really speak for everybody. But I don’t really feel like I’m missing out on anything or the team is missing out on anything because we came here on a mission and just to get it done. And then I have to get back to Tuscaloosa. So that’s all I really care about.