From SEC media day:
OL JC Latham
Q: The quarterback position, all the fans this off-season are wondering about it. What have you seen out of the three guys going for that job? You have a 30-year-old offensive coordinator.
Latham: Out of the offense as a whole, I've seen a lot of great things. We're taking everything in stride and doing what we have to do to be great.
We understand that we lost Bryce Young, so everybody around us stepping up, taking it all in stride, not just trying to be good on the field, but off the field as well, in the weight room, nutrition, recovery, mobility, recovery, whatever it is. We understand our goal is to win it all, national championship.
As far as the quarterback room goes, just competition. Everybody is competing. They know what's up for grabs for anybody. They're doing what we have to do to succeed.
Q: Can you be a little more specific about working with that new offensive coordinator, Tommy Rees, what it's been like getting to know him, how he has gotten to know the offense better.
Latham: I think just knowing him as a person, he's a great person. I can tell he has a love for the game, a passion for the game.
I think as far as the offense that he's installed and brought to the team, it utilizes everybody's strengths. We do whatever we got to do for whatever our strength is to succeed on that play or the series or whatever it might be.
So understanding that, I think we have a great group. I think we have a great scheme that we're willing to just showcase, show the world.
Q: You were the top-ranked tackle in your high school class. This cycle, Alabama, you guys brought Kadyn Proctor from Des Moines, Iowa. What have you seen from him so far? How to you expect him to contribute?
Latham: Understanding that rankings don't mean too much when you get here, it's all about how you work, what you're willing to do. He's been working since he got here.
Obviously nobody's perfect. We all have our ups and downs. Everything that he's been good at or great at, he's tried to get better at. Anything he may have a weakness in, he tries to eliminate it every single day.
He shows up with a great attitude, mindset, gifted, 6'8″. He knows how to move. He just knows who he is as a person, and he's humble about what he does in the everyday aspect.
Q: Why do you think the past couple years you guys and A&M have been such a close contest? What are you expecting this time?
Latham: As I was telling somebody earlier, experience is life's greatest teacher. I think both years weren't just the regular we show up to play. My freshman year, previously lost two games, so I think as a group, we didn't think they'd be ready to play us. Last year we lost Bryce. I don't think we were mentally prepared for him not to play.
I think we have to do a better job at understanding that anything can happen, anybody can go down at any given moment, they may not play the next game or however it may go.
I think that comes from experience. Both games I played in had a unique situation to them.
Q: Your first two years in Tuscaloosa, you see Georgia win national championships out of the SEC. Does that drive you as far as getting Alabama back to that level?
Latham: Yeah, it definitely motivates me. I've watched that game time and time again. I know our guys, we can compete with them. Just seeing them win, just understands, like, I'm not disrespecting them at all. I think they deserved to win. They've worked really hard.
I know our guys deserve to have that platform as well. Just seeing them take the stage and take the opportunity that we knew was up for grabs, that we could have taken, just fuel to the fire.
Q: A lot of new pieces on offense. How much does last season, the tough losses to Tennessee and LSU, motivate you to get back to the SEC title game?
Latham: That's a great question. It motivates us a lot. I'd be the first to say we needed to play with more discipline. Especially myself, I had way too many penalties. Every single day in practice, workouts, whatever it might be, we got guys who are trying to be more disciplined, hold each other accountable, trying to be responsible as far as that aspect goes, especially myself. We lost games off of just not being disciplined. We just couldn't handle them. It was just strictly off of discipline, so…
Q: Everyone wants to talk about the quarterback position. Jalen Milroe clearly had the most meaningful reps last year. What do you see from him, and how much confidence do you have from him each time that he's under center?
Latham: I got confidence in the whole group, whoever's out there. I know each guy has taken the preparation to be great. Each guy has taken the preparation to go out and succeed.
Whoever lines up at quarterback and whoever's the quarterback of the team is going to take the role of that leadership role. I know they're going to be great.
As far as J. Mil goes, I know he has the potential to be one of the best quarterbacks in the country, if not the best. I have no doubt in anybody else that plays as well.
Q: What have you seen out of the skill players? Who do you think might be a big contributor we might not know of and why?
Latham: I think a big contributor, I think we got a lot of guys who are eager to player, eager to show who they are, guys who are returning like Ja'Corey Brooks and Jermaine Burton. I think those guys are looking to take that leadership role and trying to be better than the year before.
But guys like Isaiah Bond and Kobe Prentice, guys like that who are also trying to step into a complete role, along with Kendrick Law and Malik Benson, I think we have a great receiving group. I think everybody is looking to compete and be great. I think we have a really good offense.
Q: Would you kindly explain your jewelry.
Latham: Yeah, so ...
Q: What's the different blocking that you have to have for each quarterback?
Latham: So first of all, the chain, when I was a junior, that's when I first played O-line, and I kind of, like — my role model — or I wouldn't say role model, guy I look up to was Deion, "Prime Time." I knew, like, that name came with a standard. You can't be called "Prime Time" if you're not making plays.
So I wanted to have my own name. That's why I came up with "Trench King." Everybody, O-line, D-line, they live in the trenches, so I wanted to be the best. So TK, Trench King, it came from that.
As far as Jalen Milroe goes, I know he's a quarterback who has the ability to run. I think he's a really great runner, a scrambler. Kind of similar to what I did with Bryce, I'm mirroring myself off the defensive linemen. If I see him go inside, kind of like slowing down to try to catch J. Mil, then I'll try to mirror myself back inside. But if I see him getting ready to go outside, I try to find my way to get outside and give him an extra couple seconds, whatever it might be.
As far as the other two quarterbacks go, even though they can run, I know they have a different style than Jalen Milroe within their own aspect, so it might be a little different approach.
Q: I know being an offensive lineman you kind of had good relationships with running backs. Of the running backs, who do you get along with best?
Latham: I mean, I think I'm close with all of them. I love all those guys. Those are my guys. So, I mean, I'm really excited for them to go showcase who they are. We got really physical running backs, guys who like to put their head down and run people over.
Yeah, I love running backs like that because sometimes, especially in this conference, it's going to get physical. Having a back who I know is tough enough to just, hey, you want to come hit me, I'm going to come hit you in your mouth, I love blocking for all those guys.
Q: Jahmyr Gibbs was a huge addition to the team last year. Do you feel the running backs are ready to step up and replace him?
Latham: No doubt. Especially at running back, from Jase to Roydell to Jamarion Miller, the freshman running back Justice. I know all those guys are out there performing at their best, doing what they got to do to be great. Each guy, whatever they have to do, whether it's mobility, fieldwork, watching extra film, making sure they're staying healthy and ready to go, they're all taking accountability and ready to do it.
