For a freshman lineman at Alabama, the roar of 100,000 fans is supposed to be a shield. Nothing beats the feeling of representing Crimson and Tide and playing under Nick Saban. But for Kadyn Proctor, one voice from that crowd broke through with a venom he never expected after his debut loss.

“Not too many people know this, but after the Texas game my freshman year, I think I gave up two sacks that game, and we lost at home,” Kadyn Proctor said in an interview at the NFL Combine on February 28. “It was a tragic loss for Alabama, and all hell broke loose. I remember I was going to Jimmy John’s to pick up a sandwich after the game, to eat and everything.

And I had my own Alabama fan come up to me and ask me if I was Kadyn Proctor. I said yes. He said, ‘Well, you f’n su-k,’ to my face. That’s a tough thing to go through. I don’t think people understand how tough it is.”

Coming out of high school, Proctor didn’t initially choose Alabama. Instead, the five-star recruit and the No. 1 offensive tackle in his class went with his in-state team, the Iowa Hawkeyes. However, the chance to play for a national championship contender under Nick Saban did its magic a day before National Signing Day, and Proctor flipped to Alabama.

The left tackle won the starting job during fall camp and held it throughout the season. When you look back, the fact that he made the SEC All-Freshmen Team and recorded his highest-graded performance in the SEC Championship game may not tell the full story of his progress.

The Texas game, in which the Tide suffered a rare home loss under Saban, was part of that journey. It didn’t help the true freshman that he was going against elite pass rushers, Ethan Burke and Barryn Sorrell. The Longhorns made life hell for Jalen Milroe, who was sacked five times in a 24-34 loss.

That experience only aided his growth, as he quickly learned the standards Bama fans expect from their players. The three-year starter is now widely projected as a first-round talent. However, the OT still remembers the stress that he felt during his initial collegiate days under Nick Saban.

Saban’s coaching philosophy at Alabama was defined by something many referred to as “The Process.” It is understood to mean as a relentless pursuit of perfection that often shows up as high-intensity sideline interactions along with a very strict discipline for all players regardless of talent or production. While Saban and his many shouting incidents have become part of football lore, former players and staff note they were always rooted in holding everyone accountable to a specific standard of excellence.

It’s not just players. Even coordinators cannot escape Saban’s eye for quality and detail. One of the more notorious interactions occurred in 2016 during a victory over Western Kentucky. After an offensive turnover, Saban was seen screaming at his then-offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin on the sideline. Saban later dismissed the idea of a “disagreement,” famously stating, “There were no arguments. Those are called a**-chewings”.

It was later revealed that Kiffin had said over the headset, “Dumb players make dumb plays.” Saban then immediately snapped back, “No, dumb offensive coordinators call dumb plays”.

Even current Texas HC Steve Sarkisian was in the line of fire. The former OC for Bama recalled receiving a serious reprimand by Saban for allowing receivers to play rock, paper, scissors during a game to decide who would get the ball. It was DeVonta Smith, Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs who used the game to determine who would be the primary option on every play.

“Be careful with the rock, paper, scissors,” Sarkisian joked as he recalled back those memories. “I got what my old boss called an a** chewing. I had a couple of receivers do that in games when I was back in Tuscaloosa.”

Kadyn Proctor admits ‘pressure’ under Nick Saban

Kadyn Proctor briefly left Alabama after Nick Saban retired and Kalen DeBoer took over. However, his stay in Iowa didn’t last long, as he returned to Tuscaloosa during the spring window in 2024. Compared to the last two seasons he played under Kalen DeBoer, he feels Saban’s tenure was more stressful, as was the impact he had in Tuscaloosa.

“It’s such a blessed opportunity to go down there and play for the best head coach we’ve seen in college football,” Proctor said. “It was most definitely stressful. Everybody was tight all the time, but that taught me how to work. It taught me how to grind. That’s all it was. It was strictly business.”

Although stressful, Proctor earned the Freshman All-American honors in 2023. Saban also credited him during that time: “He’s shown me he’s big, and he’s made a lot of progress. He’s improved a lot.”

When it comes to entering the NFL, there may be a change required. The three-year Alabama starting tackle told reporters on Saturday in Indianapolis at the NFL combine that while he prefers to stick to his primary position, he is open to a potential career-altering move when asked about the possibility of moving inside to guard at the next level.

At 6-foot-7 with his power and length, Proctor could become a potential cornerstone tackle for the franchise that chooses to select him. But in today’s NFL, versatility is the new name of the game. Teams value linemen who also have the ability to slide inside and adjust to different blocking schemes. This is even more crucial considering how linemen get injured and the schemes have to change accordingly.