The Importance Of Never Giving Up

 

One of the most underrated movies of the late 90s is an homage to Star Trek and its fans called Galaxy Quest. The commander of the ship Peter Quincy Taggart, portrayed by Tim Allen, has a simple yet effective catchphrase that is said multiple times throughout the movie. "Never give up. Never Surrender." This is exactly what the motto of the Alabama team for this year has become.

Many pundits and fans had left Alabama for dead after the devastating loss to Texas on September 9th. The annual talk of how the dynasty is dead and Nick Saban cannot connect with the players anymore was featured prominently on the talk shows and columns of various publications. Then the following week, Alabama benched their starter from the first two games and got a struggle win against South Florida. Many folks throughout the college football landscape predicted a loss to Ole Miss and the descent toward mediocrity for Alabama. But somebody forgot to tell the Alabama team they weren't supposed to be any good this year.

Going through a gauntlet of Ole Miss, at Mississippi State, at Texas A&M, Arkansas, Tennessee, and LSU, the Tide became a cohesive unit. Yes, they still tend to start slowly on the first drives for Offense and Defense, but the team really seems to turn it on as the game progresses. Alabama has embraced difficulty and decided that they will #LANK. This is an uncommon thing for Alabama teams of the past to acknowledge external factors but this team seems to feed off people doubting them and their abilities. 

The story is still being written about the 2023 Alabama team and they have plenty of obstacles left in their path. A difficult 11 a.m. kickoff road game at Kentucky this weekend. A true test of Auburn Jesus at Jordan Hare to end the season. Win both of those and the game against Chattanooga, they make the SEC Championship with a shot at making the College Football Playoffs. Some pundits believe that if Alabama upsets Georgia and gets a little help, they'll be in the Playoffs only to be exposed by supposed superior competition.  Only time will tell who is right about this. But there is still plenty of football left before we even get to that point.

This team thrives on doubt. They seem to have a genuine love for each other and are holding each other accountable for actions on the field. They make mistakes but adjust and get back at it instead of lingering on the bad plays. They're preaching and walking the #Process . They without a doubt embody Commander Taggart's catchphrase, "Never Give Up. Never Surrender." I cannot wait to see how far this team will go and all they plan to accomplish.