TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Try to imagine Kalen DeBoer scrambling. Not like his quarterback, but like most of us burdened with a million things to do in our daily lives.
Through eight months as Alabama’s coach, it has been difficult to imagine DeBoer being stressed at all. But back in January, DeBoer and his former Washington team needed something of a compliance Hail Mary.
The Huskies had just returned to Seattle from a College Football Playoff semifinal win in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. The turnaround was so quick between the Jan. 1 semifinal and the Jan. 8 national championship game in Houston that Washington had a small request for the NCAA: allow the Washington players to skip class.
UW is on the quarter system, and classes had begun Jan. 3, two days after the semifinal. NCAA rules require players to be in class between games once they return to campus.
Those same rules permit athletes to miss class ahead of the College Football Playoff Championship Game if they are on the road.
“We were up until 4 a.m. in the morning [on Jan. 2] writing a waiver to the NCAA,” DeBoer told CBS Sports last week. “If you’re telling your kids not to go to class, there are violations with that.”
Washington got the waiver. There were no violations. And, yes, the players were allowed to miss class from Jan. 3-5 while practicing. Not that it mattered, as it turned out. Despite a season for the ages, the Huskies were blown out by Michigan in that championship game.
“I think we were the first team to play a championship game and be in classes,” DeBoer said.
Any lessons learned from that game prep aren’t evident as DeBoer prepares for the next big game of his career. More importantly, it is the first big game of his Alabama career — yes,…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/georgia-showdown-marks-kalen-deboers-first-pressure-packed-moment-as-alabama-coach-but-you-wouldnt-know-it/
Author : Dennis Dodd
Publish date : 2024-09-25 13:52:02
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
