Alabama's Rolando McClain: One Last Look Before He Starts His Pro Career

Larry Burton (Syndicated Writer) Though he looks a bit different wearing a black jersey with a 55 on it instead of his trademark Crimson 25 jersey, when he smiles and starts talking you know it's still Rolando McClain.

Entering his first year in professional football with the Oakland Raiders, still working out the details in a reported eight year, $30 million package, that alone explains why McClain felt the need to leave Alabama, but there was more.

"I don't know if I would or could have made the same decision to leave Alabama early if there weren't so much talent at Alabama waiting to take my place," McClain said. "But the guys I'm leaving there have the talent to step up and fill my place. It's their time now, and they can do it."

"And I'm not leaving them forever, most of them will be here in a few years in the NFL with me and we will be like brothers for the rest of our lives," he said.

When asked to look back over his career with Alabama and recap it in a nutshell he said the key was players finally "buying in."

"The first two years of my career at Alabama, we didn't have the kind of success we wanted because we had players that wouldn't buy into the system (Saban's famous "Process"). Once we got rid of them and had a team totally committed to the same thing, [that "Process"] it all started coming together," McClain said.

"Coach Saban is a wonderful coach and knows what he's doing and the staff there is fantastic. He [Saban] has everything all worked out in his head, you just have to believe and follow the plan. The players that are there can look back at the results without buying in and totally buying in. That's all they have to do," McClain surmised.

When talking about Saban having everything in his head, it was brought up to McClain that many thought he had gotten into Saban's head himself and the two were somehow mentally or telepathically connected.

McClain laughed and said, "Yes, I was called the bigger, faster, stronger version of Saban. But I did understand and know what he was thinking most of the time and could adjust on the fly without ever looking at him. I owe so much to that man and it will always be an honor to have played for him."

When asked if he would ever consider coaching himself, because he was considered by most to be "another coach on the field," he said, "If I learned anything from Nick Saban it is do do one thing at a time and focus on the present, so right now, I'm focused on being the best professional football player I can be, after that, who knows."

In talking about the move from college to the pros and from the 3-4 set to the 4-3 set the Raiders use, McClain said the defensive schemes don't matter as long as your mind is in the game.

"I learned to play with instinct, to see things unfold and react, so there's really not as much difference as you think. In fact, in the 4-3, I don't have to take a guard on every play like I did in college, so here, I'm free to react to things without first having to take on a player every play."

Concluding everything, McClain was asked how he wanted to be remembered at Alabama, and his emotions suddenly changed.

"I hope they will remember me as a guy who worked hard and always did his best, that he sold out to the system and bled Crimson. It's not important that I be remembered as something special, but that I was part of something very special."

"I will always be a Crimson Tide guy. I will always be bound to those players and coaches and no matter what happens from here, that will never change," McClain finished.

So now with McClain having moved from the rank of player to fan, he officially joins the millions of others in the Alabama Nation who will be watching the Tide.

The only difference is McClain says if he sees some of the guys he left there slacking off,  he may come back and kick them in the tail and that's something the rest of us could only dream of doing.