Alabama is finally Tyler's team

TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA - True story: Tyler Watts once was known for his prolific passing. It was between stints as a so-called running quarterback.

``I ran the triple option my first year in high school, and then we started throwing it. How about that?'' the Alabama senior said, grinning.

``And then we just threw it every down. It's kind of come full circle, it seems like.''

It's been that kind of career.

After four years, two head coaches, three offensive coordinators, one knee surgery and a torn groin muscle, the future has finally arrived for the Crimson Tide's quarterback of the future.

Forgive Watts if he doesn't kick back and savor his current job security.

``It is definitely a different feeling, knowing you don't have to press, that it's yours for the moment,'' Watts said. ``The only way you're going to keep it is to continue to get better and improve and perform out there.''

The high school All-American arrived at Alabama in 1998 with a reputation as the best quarterback prospect to cock his arm for the Tide in years and the guy who would spark a passing revival.

The reality: He threw more passes (342) for more yards (2,485) and more touchdowns (20) as a senior at Pelham High School than he has in three seasons for the Tide: 311 attempts, 2,126 yards and 13 TDs. Watts has never thrown for 250 yards in a college game.

His teammates have few complaints about a quarterback who has (too often?) put his body on the line fighting for extra yards and quietly weathered three years of constant battles for the job with Andrew Zow.

``Tyler just gets better and better each and every day, on the field and off the field,'' receiver Antonio Carter said. ``He's a great leader. I think Tyler's damn good. He does a great job leading us, getting everybody in position, getting everybody where they're supposed to be.''

Watts has paid for his aggressive running style. He started the first nine games last season but missed the final three with a groin injury.

As a sophomore, he started four games but missed the rest of the season with a torn knee ligament. Now, he promises to play more like, well, a quarterback and avoid unnecessary hits.

``You can be stubborn about it for awhile, but then you start feeling it and then you see it on film,'' said Watts, who graduated in May. ``Hopefully I will do a better job of that. I'm doing the team an injustice if I don't.

``Hopefully I will beat it into my mind that I might be gaining an extra yard right now but I'm hurting us in the long run.''

Watts, who rushed for 564 yards and passed for 1,325 last season, has much bigger numbers in mind this season.

``I want to throw for over 2,000 yards and run for 1,000,'' he said. ``That's my goal.''

Watts made those numbers look attainable during a three-game stretch last season, rushing for 100-plus yards against South Carolina, Texas-El Paso and Mississippi.

His pristine performance against the Gamecocks was easily the best of his career. Watts rushed 22 times for 162 yards and two touchdowns. He completed 20 of 25 passes - a school record 80 percent rate - for 231 yards and another score.

But the Tide committed 10 penalties and three turnovers in the 37-36 defeat, and that's what gnaws at Watts.

``It seemed like whatever we did was working,'' he said. ``If you take away two or three turnovers that we committed, we win that game by two touchdowns.

``It just shows how much you have to value every play, how you can't take any plays off, how you have to be mentally sharp every down. Otherwise, you'll have the opportunity to get beat.''

Watts, 9-6 as a starter, admits he let some of the attention and criticism affect him early in his career. He said he's learned his lesson.

``I listened too much to what was being said,'' Watts said. ``There's going to be critics that are saying good things as well as bad things, and if you listen to what everybody's saying and don't concentrate on what's actually going on, you're going to fail.

``You have to prove yourself out there on the field and prove to the people that matter, which are the coaches and the other players, that you can get the job done.''

Alabama has won an SEC championship during his career and posted two losing records.

Watts won both his starts as a redshirt freshman, and displayed the lay-it-on-the-line mentality with a key block on Freddie Milons' 77-yard touchdown run in the championship game against Florida.

As a sophomore, the injured Watts watched from the sidelines with a torn knee ligament as Alabama lost its final five games and coach Mike DuBose stepped down.

``It's been an up and down career and I have wonderful memories and also memories I would like to forget,'' Watts said.

He's not done yet, though.

``Tyler's comfortable,'' Carter said. ``He's ready to take control of this ballclub and lead us to where we're supposed to be.''