Bama destroys runner-up trophy

ATLANTA —Runner-up trophies aren’t big at Alabama. They rarely end up in the trophy case. In fact, the latest one didn’t even last a full year.

Prior to the team’s final practice on campus before arriving in Atlanta for Monday’s national championship game, strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran destroyed the symbol of last year’s failure. Dropping multiple expletives as he held the trophy above his head, the always-intense Cochran slammed the second place trophy from last year’s national title game to the ground as he was surrounded and encouraged by players. He then demolished it with a sledgehammer. A video of the display circulated on social media, becoming a viral hit.

“It’s been sitting in my office for a year now,” Cochran said Saturday at media day at Philips Arena. “We were sitting there with a few players, and they were like, ‘ why is this still here?” I said, ‘Let’s go.’ They were ready. They knew what I was about to do, because I told them I was going to do it for a long time.” The players got a kick out of it. “That’s how we have fun,” linebacker Rashaan Evans said. “That just showed you how Scott Cochran is wired. He wants to be the best regardless of what it is, and that was symbolism of that. It definitely got us pumped up.”

Cochran, who has been with Alabama coach Nick Saban for all five of his national championships, wouldn’t reveal which players asked about the trophy, and why it hadn’t been taken care of yet.

“I’m not getting them in trouble,” he said with a smile. “I’ll take all that.”

When asked his reaction of the display, the reserved Saban said he isn’t into “gimmick stuff.” But if it motivates his players, he’s all for it.

“Coach Cochran likes that kind of stuff, and the players usually respond to it, and they have fun with it, which I think is important,” Saban said.