Droves of people pressed against the gates, many more behind them doing whatever they could to get a glimpse. Signs read “DeBoer says Roll Tide!” “Kalen + Jalen = championship” (alluding to quarterback Jalen Milroe) and “L.A.N.K.” (Let All Naysayers Know). At 8:38 p.m. CT Friday, the moment arrived: Kalen DeBoer’s plane landed at Tuscaloosa National Airport, the doors opened and he was welcomed by a sea of crimson and white.
Many followed him from the airport to the Mal Moore football facility, where an equally large reception was waiting outside the doors, where Alabama football had a team meeting with DeBoer at 9 p.m. As players entered the facility, Milroe gave the crowd a “Roll Tide” and affirmed that he was staying in 2024. Soon, DeBoer entered the facility to more cheers and to begin the new era of the program.
