Former Alabama star sounds off on portal exodus: âItâs no longer about winningâ

Alphonse Taylor is frustrated.

The former Alabama offensive lineman, affectionately known as Shank, has watched as members of his beloved Crimson Tide have taken off for greener pastures. It isn’t the idea of players transferring for more playing time. He gets that.

It’s different.

“Players transfer every day,” he posted Wednesday on “X,” the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “That doesn’t bother me. What bothers me is being one game away from the national championship game and instead of running it back, you transfer. On top of that, you get a coach who was just in the national championship game. It’s no longer about winning.”

Taylor, who played from 2013-2016, got a lot of reaction to his social media comments. On Wednesday night, he explained.

“For me, seeing all the beasts we had returning and knowing the season we had, people just kind of wrote us off at the beginning of the season anyway,” he explained to AL.com. “In a sense, we overachieved. Just hearing (former Alabama coach Nick) Saban’s reason for retiring, how proud he was of bringing those guys from where they were to where they are now. To be able to put in all that work in everything they achieved and so close to winning it all, then not even give yourself a chance to return and go finish what you started, I feel like that’s a big thing for me.

“You can point at Saban for retiring. Well, he’s 72. It was time for him to retire. It’s not like we left you in the hands of a nobody. We bring in (Kalen) DeBoer who was in the national championship game, who understands the standard and the caliber you need to win. To not give him a chance has been the most frustrating part.

“Just having guys who were starters, who weren’t hurting for playing time or anything, having those types of guys (leave) is really frustrating as well.”

The social media naysayers, of course, pounced, but Taylor was ready.

Jameson Williams transferred to Alabama from Ohio State. Same thing, right?

“Jameson Williams was wide receiver 3 or 4 at Ohio State,” he explained. “He instantly became wide receiver 1 at Bama. You can say the same thing about (Jermaine) Burton. … You comparing apples to oranges there.”

Critics to Taylor’s take point to relationships. Players don’t want to play for a coach they don’t know.

“Sorry, I just assumed teammates were part of relationships,” he countered. “You say it’s all about relationships. Well, you gonna have a hard time proving that to me when you leave 80 guys hanging to go play with 80 brand new guys.”

Don’t get the former right guard wrong. He knows the game has turned into a business.

“It’s definitely not about winning,” he stressed. “It’s definitely not about having pride in something you built and want to finish something you started.”

Again, he isn’t mad at guys for transferring. That might be the biggest point he made. “Reading comprehension is kind of hard for a lot of the people responding. … People transfer every day. It’s more the situation. What situation are you transferring out of. You are two wins away from winning it all.”

Taylor, an offensive line coach at Alma Bryant High School, knows his opinion isn’t going to be the most popular with people. “I came from an era where I spent five years at Bama. I spent time sitting behind some great people. So, I know what it’s like to build and go from the ground up. … Now I feel like no one wants to stick it out. No one wants to build.”

There are always examples of Alabama guys that transfer for the right reasons. Taylor cites Jerome Ford, who left Tuscaloosa for Cincinnati and found his way to the NFL.

“I just don’t understand the guys that are Day 1 starters,” he said. “It’s essentially your team, and you aren’t going to stick it out.”

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.