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This Alabama football captain is 'tired of losing'

Alabama football has a different standard.

Fans aren't the only ones yearning for another national championship. Graduate defensive back Malachi Moore is too.

JaMarcus Shephard, Alabama's new assistant head coach/co-offensive coordinator, joined Inside the Locker Room on Tide 100.9 on Wednesday and told a story from practice about Moore, a permanent team captain in 2023.

"What really gave me a sense of where I was at: We were breaking a huddle and one of our players, Malachi Moore, he was breaking the huddle for the team," Shephard said. "He said, 'Everybody get in here. Get in here. Hey listen. Let me tell you what. I'm tired of losing around here. I'm tired of losing around here.' I looked at one of our other assistants and I said, 'I think they won 12 games last year.'"

Shephard was correct; Alabama went 12-2 and won the SEC Championship while also reaching the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide hasn't even lost three or more games in a season since 2010.

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But, Alabama hasn't won a national championship since 2020. That's three seasons without one, and in Moore's mind, it has been too long.

That hammered home to Shephard he wasn't in Seattle anymore.

"Honestly, it really brought it to the forefront and gave me a sense as to where I was at. In that moment, it really clicked. I said, 'Yep. We're at Alabama.'"

Nick Kelly is the Alabama beat writer for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network, and he covers Alabama football and men's basketball. Reach him at nkelly@gannett.com or follow him @_NickKelly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football: One captain is 'tired of losing'