On Tuesday, Deontae Lawson Spoke About Finishing the Season Strong

Alabama’s schedule has just four games remaining, marking the most crucial stretch of the season. Closing out strong will be vital to achieving their ultimate goal–competing for a national championship.

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Last season, the Crimson Tide’s playoff hopes were derailed after stumbling throughout the season, but this year’s team has shown a different level of focus. Determined not to repeat the same mistakes, Alabama has emphasized discipline, consistency, and maintaining their edge week after week.  

“To keep our edge, don’t forgot they can’t wait to say something bad about you, so keep your edge, and you’ve got to have that edge everyday as you come in here to practice or anything. You’ve just got to keep that edge and move with purpose,” Lawson said to the media during Tuesday’s player availability. “We always talk about that, and the rest will take care of itself, and we know at the end of the day it’s all about us and what we do and how we prepare and things like that, so we’ll be fine for sure.”

The Crimson Tide have been in a dogfight since their Week 1 loss, forced to prove they belong among the nations’s best. Between Week 5 to Week 8, Alabama faced four Top 25 opponents–including tough road games against Georgia, Missouri, and South Carolina– and came out on top each time. Those wins didn’t come easy, but they revealed Alabama’s resilience and ability to adapt under pressure. That success has come from the underdog mindset. 

“They can’t wait until we fall, and you’ve go to have that mindset no matter what stretch you're on or anything like that. They just can’t wait to say something about you; they can’t wait to see Alabama fall. That’s really the main message, and that’s how you keep your edge–just know they want to say something bad about you, but don’t give them a reason to,” Lawson said.

Lawson also emphasized that the team can’t afford to let complacency set in as the final stretch has approached. Staying aggressive and maintaining that same fire throughout the season will be key to finishing strong. “We’re just going to continue to do what we’ve been doing; we just got to keep that edge that we have and chip on our shoulder and just come out here and try to get better each and every day at practice, and it’ll lead to gameday for sure.”