Hoover, Ala. – As Kalen DeBoer's SUV pulled up to Greystone Golf & Country Club Wednesday morning, tens of fans quickly swarmed the car looking for autographs and selfies -- anything to get a piece of Alabama's new football coach.
There will be a series of "Welcome to Alabama" moments for the low-key DeBoer this first year in the Yellowhammer State, and playing in the Regions Tradition Pro-Am was one of them. Starting with Gene Stallings, every Alabama football coach has played in the event (even Mike Price, who was fired before ever coaching the Crimson Tide in a game). Within a week of being hired in January, the event was put on DeBoer's calendar because it's a "rite of passage," according to the event's executive director Gene Hallman.
Interestingly, the man he replaced was there, too. Nick Saban has played in the event every year except one since taking the Alabama job in 2007 -- his lone absence was last year because of a trip to Italy -- and he made the trek back from his $17.5 million vacation home in Jupiter Island, Fla., to play in an event that also featured Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze and Senator Tommy Tuberville. The event helps benefit local charities including Children's of Alabama.
In a moment that felt too on the nose to be real, at one point DeBoer literally stood in Nick Saban's shadow as both hit golf balls on the driving range before beginning their rounds. Following in the footsteps of college football's greatest coach will chase DeBoer around all year as he replaces a man who won six national championships during an unprecedented run of success in Tuscaloosa. At least on this day, DeBoer got to play ahead of Saban in the tee times. The two posed for a photo on the range beforehand with Saban wearing his traditional straw hat and DeBoer advertising the program's Name, Image and Likeness collective with a red Yea Alabama polo -- a tiny moment emblematic of the new college football world.
The presence of Saban was unmistakable even as he eases into retirement. He had three police officers protecting him all day -- DeBoer had two -- and hundreds of fans and autograph seekers followed him around the golf course all day in the humid Alabama weather. As much as you know it to be true, it still catches you off-guard to hear Saban introduced as the "former head coach of the University of Alabama," but even in semi-retirement the new college football television analyst drew the biggest crowd on the course. His adoring fans wanted to thank him for all that he had meant to them over the last 17 years.
Cedric Burns, Saban's long-time driver and right-hand man, was dutifully back in his role as autograph gatekeeper as fans pleaded and cajoled to get as many items in Burns' hands for Saban to sign as possible. Burns enforces a one-autograph-per-person rule, trying to get the young kids in attendance autographs before the adults. Everything from helmets to jerseys to books to golf flags eventually made their way to Saban, who was signing autographs seemingly every moment he wasn't hitting a golf ball.
Having the past and future of Alabama football together led to the largest Pro-Am crowd in more than a decade, according to Hallman, who singled out DeBoer as the single biggest driver of the event's big attendance.
"I think that the interest in the new coach and the fact that Coach Saban came and they are playing back to back," Hallman told CBS Sports. "I think a lot of people saw an opportunity to get both their autographs and maybe get a photograph of them together."
DeBoer acquiesced to every photo request along the way, displaying a charm and understanding of how much it meant to the people in attendance. Kristen Saban, daughter of Nick, came up to him at one point during the round and introduced herself, the pair spending a couple minutes chatting and getting to know each other. DeBoer admitted he isn't much of a golfer -- "fans will never be worried about me playing too much golf" -- but wanted to be there to interact with the fans as he builds up goodwill as the program's new leader.
He exceeded those expectations for the most part, with multiple strong drives off the tee throughout the day. On one hole on the front-nine, however, DeBoer's second shot came dangerously close to hitting some Canadian Geese standing on the course.
"You killed an Alabama duck!" a volunteer loudly said.
She paused for a moment and then added, "Thank you for coming to Alabama."
Whether she was thanking him for almost killing the geese or for taking over the football program was unclear, but DeBoer thanked her back. It was emblematic of the day for the North Dakota native who wasn't overwhelmed by the throng of diehard Alabama fans and handled every moment of the day with aplomb. He doesn't have near the star power of Saban yet, but it was clear on a hot day on the outskirts of Birmingham that an enthusiastic Alabama fanbase wanted to show just how excited it is about its new head coach.
It is moments like Wednesday that led DeBoer to leave a terrific situation in Washington to replace the greatest of all-time.
"Seeing the excitement it continues to motivate you," DeBoer said. "I think you have to be driven in the first place but seeing everyone out here and the excitement is a lot of fun."
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