Alabama returned to the practice field Tuesday, three days before it travels to Tallahassee to open its season at Florida State.
It will be the first career start for Ty Simpson, and something he thought about as soon as he woke up Tuesday.
“I was like, ‘Man, it’s really here.’ It’s game week,” Simpson said after practice. “It’s something I’ve prepared [for] and wanted for a long time.”
As for Tuesday’s practice: “It was great. Some butterflies. Feels good. Feels like football weather.”
The August heat has been dialed back this week in Tuscaloosa, but the pressure of being Alabama’s starting quarterback will greet Simpson this Saturday in Doak Campbell Stadium. It’s a topic on which Simpson has received advice from both current and former Tide coaches since being named the starter earlier this month.
“After talking to Coach DeBoer, Coach [offensive coordinator] Grubb, Coach [quarterbacks coach] Sheridan and even Coach Saban — they all said the same thing,” Simpson relayed. “Just go have fun. Control what you can control and keep the main thing the main thing. The main thing to me is making sure we don’t have any negative plays, so moving the ball down the field.”
Saban, who chose Jalen Milroe over Simpson as Alabama’s starter after a competition in 2023, recently spoke to the Tide’s newly-minted starter.
“I talked to Coach Saban here recently,” Simpson said Tuesday. “I asked him the same question: what do I need tell myself going into a game like this? How to not get so anxious, how to not get nervous, how to not make it bigger than what it is?
“He was like, just play within yourself. Make sure that you keep your team out of negative plays and negative drives. He always said that if you end a drive with a punt, a kick, a PAT, a field goal or a punt, then you’re in good shape and you’re not dead in the water.
“I’m taking that approach of making sure that, hey, I’m gonna make sure that I march down the field and do everything I can to move the ball forward and not go backwards.”
Simpson’s most extensive action of his three-year career came in September 2023 when he replaced starter Tyler Buchner in a 17-3 win over South Florida. However, Simpson’s performance was not enough to keep Saban from turning back to Milroe the following week.
“I learned a lot from the South Florida game,” Simpson said. “One, being more mature and got to prepare better. Two, not making it bigger than what it is. I was super excited, super anxious going into that game because I didn’t know what to expect, what to prepare for.”
Simpson also plans to turn to his faith before kickoff Saturday.
“I think about it before I take on the field — Micah 5:5 says ‘Peace be the Lord,'” Simpson said. “I kind of take that approach of just before I step on the field, just taking a little second and playing, and taking a breath and being like, hey, He’s with me in whatever situation happens. He’s gonna be beside me and I’m excited for it.”