Terrion Arnold has become one of the most vocal members of the 2023 Alabama football team. Off the field, he’s good for a quote when he gets in front of the microphones.

He’s not giving away Alabama’s strategy points or causing controversy for the most part. He just is good at explaining in detail and color what’s happening on the field.

According to Arnold in an interview with Andy Staples of On3, released on Wednesday, that’s all from his upbringing.

“My grandad was kind of like a storyteller,” Arnold said. “I’ve always been one of those guys, like when you go to family reunions or you’re around your friends, when you hear stories about people it makes you excited. My teammates always say ‘Terrion, you’re gonna be the guy when they make a documentary or they make something on this team, you’re definitely gonna be the guy who they’re following around.’”

Arnold also makes himself heard on the field. In the days leading up to Alabama’s Saturday win over Texas A&M, he said he regularly had conversations with opposing receivers, not all of them trash talk.

During his interview with Staples, Arnold spoke about the chats he was having with TAMU receivers on Saturday. He described one conversation he had with Aggie wideout Evan Stewart on the first play of the game, after hearing trash talk from Jimbo Fisher’s son, who plays high school football with Arnold’s brother.

“I looked and Evan was jogging on the field,” Arnold said. “He smiled at me. So then when he smiled, I looked at Evan and I was like ‘It’s gonna be a long day E, It’s gonna be a long day today.’ Then he looked back at me and he was like ‘It’s gonna be a long day today for you.’ So just those kind of things.”

In the lead up to the A&M game, Stewart’s fellow Aggie receiver Ainias Smith made headlines saying the game was “more personal” and implying he knew what “Nick Saban wants” entering the contest. Arnold had said before the game that he didn’t know what Saban wanted, so he would be sure to ask Smith about it on the field.

During the Staples interview, Arnold spoke about what was actually said between him and Smith.

“Guarding Ainias, I had thought he was gonna, obviously set the tone,” Arnold said. “I’m waiting for him to say something off the rip. Never said nothing. Then we got into a pushing and shoving match on the block. He’s like ‘I’m coming. I’m coming.’ Then we lined up, this is I think a second down, I’m lined up in the slot, I’m playing six yards (back), going man-to-man, because I’m in man-to-man. I’m looking, I’m like ‘I’m in man-to-man, it’s you vs. me.’

“Then you could tell, when he got the false start penalty, when he jumped, I said ‘You scared. You scared.’ So just like those, subliminal messages.

Arnold said he’ll occasionally tell opposing receivers that he’s in man-to-man, even when that’s not true. He said fellow Crimson Tide corner Kool-Aid McKinstry is well known for that sort of gamesmanship.

He went on to describe another conversion he had with Smith on the field.

“So then on the chop ball, when (Smith) beat me on the chop. After I made the play, before I celebrated, when he caught up right there, I said ‘You almost had it. Gotta be quicker than that.’ Things like that,’” Arnold said.

Arnold and Alabama will be back in action Saturday, facing Arkansas at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game is scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. and will be aired on ESPN.

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