Bryce Young has seen and heard it all.
Playing three seasons at Alabama under the legendary coach Nick Saban, he has been readied and prepped for the next step of being a NFL quarterback. During that process of development, he’s heard all of the detractors who say he is too small to last in the NFL, despite leading Alabama to a national championship game appearance and winning the Heisman trophy in his two years as the starting quarterback.
Despite the naysayers, he doesn’t play to prove anyone wrong as much as he does to prove himself right.
“For me, I don’t focus on trying to prove people wrong,” said young. “I know what I am capable of, and I’m trying to work day-in and day-out to be the best version of myself.”
The best version of himself has Young poised to be one of the first names called on Thursday’s NFL Draft, with him possibly being the first overall pick.
Young sat down with Complex before the draft to discuss his doubters, playing for Nick Saban, Alabama becoming a quarterback factory, and his relationship with fellow top quarterback prospect CJ Stroud.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Can you explain your new partnership with BODYARMOR?
I’m super excited to be starting this partnership with BODYARMOR. To me, hydration is something that is super important. The hydration that BODYARMOR brings, it helps me day-to-day be my best self whether it’s at practice or even when we get to game days. All of the electrolytes that it has, it gets my body into the best state to be able to perform and have success at the highest level.
Growing up a lot of kids and athletes drank Gatorade and Powerade. What does it mean for you to be one of the faces BODYARMOR and potentially change that tide?
It means a lot to me. For me, it’s just about the product and the function of it. Whether it’s all of the BODYARMOR products, the amount of preparation it allows for me to have. It’s super exciting to help change the tides for the next generation, and grateful that the company took a chance on me. I’m going to do my best to represent the brand to the best of my ability, and hopefully we help improve the narrative, with BODYARMOR having such a great reputation already.
You’re viewed as one of the top quarterback prospects, if not the, top quarterback prospect in this upcoming draft. But there are still people who doubt you due to your height and size despite what you have accomplished at the highest levels of football. Is that something that fuels you, or do you block out the noise?
For me, it’s something I’ve been hearing my entire life. It’s not something that is new at all. For me, I don’t focus on trying to prove people wrong, it doesn’t motivate me. I believe everybody is entitled to their own opinion, I know what I want to accomplish. I know what I am capable of, and I’m trying to work day-in and day-out to be the best version of myself and help whatever team it is that does take a chance on me. I focus on what I can control, it’s not something that consumes my mind or that I think of at all.
Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones, the last two starting quarterbacks at Alabama, were both first round picks. You yourself are on the cusp of making it three in a row for the university. For a school that was once seen as defense-first and running the ball, how did Alabama become a quarterback factory?
I think it’s a huge credit to the coaching and Coach Saban, being able to adapt with the times and making the offense a little more quarterback-centric. Throughout the different coordinators, Coach Saban has remained the one constant. I think really just the guidance that Coach Saban has given me and the quarterbacks before is starting to show. At Alabama, we are competing against the best everyday in practice, and competing against Coach Saban’s defense everyday it definitely prepares you for the next level and gives Alabama quarterbacks that advantage to grow while we are there.
Speaking of Nick Saban, he is seen as a dictator and perfectionist from the outside looking in. But having been around him for three years, what is his personality truly like, and do you have a story you can share with us that won’t get you or him in trouble?
A story that wouldn’t get us in any trouble? I don’t know if I have a story in that category laughs. But, I think the public can see however he is portrayed in the media, but what garners everybody’s respect is seeing how consistent he is. Not only with holding us accountable, but holding himself accountable, the coaches and everyone that works there. He doesn’t just pick and choose, he is going to hold everyone accountable. And as a player, you respect that a lot. We understand that he isn’t coming from a place of bad intent, he is pushing us to be the best version of ourselves day-in and day-out. There are some times where it may come in a more aggressive way, but we know he cares about us as people and as players. So I think being able to be there and be around him, you understand that it comes from being caring. There is definitely that funny, and joking and more personable side that you really have to go to Alabama and play there to be able to see.
Another one of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming draft is CJ Stroud, who like yourself is from California. You have both been seen as the top two quarterbacks in college football each of the last two seasons. Do you two have a relationship, and if so, what is it like?
I’m super close with CJ, that’s like my brother. I’ve known him since middle school, we have been to a lot of the same places and we have a great relationship outside of football. That’s somebody that I respect a lot as a player and as a person. So being able to share this experience, and now we workout together all the time and train together. Just being able to have someone that I know and that I’m close with and us going through so much stuff, and having so much similarities, it’s something that is special. I don’t take it for granted, both of us having these same life changing moments and experiences for ourselves and our families and being from the same area, knowing each other for so long. It’s been a super fun ride and I’m glad that we both have this experience.
Growing up, were there any quarterbacks that you idolized or molded your game after?
When I was younger, Aaron Rodgers was definitely my favorite quarterback that I tried to emulate and take parts of his game. Obviously, an unreal thrower, insanely accurate. His ability to remain a passer through everything that he does, the way he extends plays. The ball placement and anticipation, and throw from such different angles. When I was younger, and even now, I look up to and have a lot of respect for. When I was trying to figure out the quarterback that I wanted to be, he was a big source of inspiration.
