CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: ALABAMA VS GEORGIA

January 5, 2022

Henry To'oTo'o

Lucas Oil Stadium

Alabama Crimson Tide

Press Conference

Q. How would you describe this experience? You go from a 3-7 team to a national championship team and you made such a big impact on the defense along the way getting there?

HENRY TO'OTO'O: It's honestly a blessing to be able to be part of something so special, to be able to be part of a team and a group of guys that we strive for greatness every day. So it's been a huge blessing.

Q. Coach Saban called their tight end Brock Bowers one of the premier players in college football. What will take for you to slow him down and limit him?

HENRY TO'OTO'O: Just play sound football, fundamental football, be able to tackle, cover him in space. He's a tremendous player. So it's going to be a huge challenge for us. He did a lot of things against us last game. Just really honing into the fundamentals and being able to execute in our game.

Q. Going back to the game last month, did you guard him at all. And I'm from San Francisco, so I'm doing a Bay Area story. Did you know of Bowers when you were playing at De La Salle? I know you were a couple of years older, but is there any Bay Area connection at all? Did you talk about your California connections after the game, that kind of thing?

HENRY TO'OTO'O: You know, definitely heard about him. Never really had a relationship with him. Heard about him. The California guys have to stay together. Really heard about him. Knew he was a great player coming out of high school. That's pretty much it.

Q. Coming off last year, this time last year a lot of uncertainty about potentially what your future was going to be and where you were going to play. How has the last year been for you transferring from Tennessee to Alabama and now [lost audio] --

HENRY TO'OTO'O: It's been, like I said before, a huge blessing to be able to be in the position that I am and being able to be in this game with the group of guys and the coaches. It's been a blessing. I can't complain about nothing I've been through. I love every single part of my road. And I'm honored and truly blessed to be where I am at.

Q. Want to ask you about Khyree Jackson. What did you think about the way he played and his, not first start, but really extensive action last game against Cincinnati? And what kind of corner is he?

HENRY TO'OTO'O: Me and Khyree came in around the same time. Khyree has been working really hard. He deserves it. He stepped up big time for us. He does a tremendous job at the corner position.

He's a hard worker. He's going to come in day in, day out and work, try to learn everything he can. And he's really talented. To be able to have him out there do what he does, he's a natural baller. So Khyree is a huge piece to our defense.

Q. I think it was almost four months between the time last year where you entered the transfer portal and then decided on Alabama. What was that time like? And were you surprised at the interest you got?

HENRY TO'OTO'O: You know, I'd say a lot of people -- entering the transfer portal was one of the craziest times in my life. Being able to be -- kind of start the recruiting process over. And I was just truly blessed to be able to have the schools that were interested in me.

I landed here. I had a relationship with the coaches here before. It was kind of a rough time, but I'm happy that I had my family, my parents, my brothers and sisters to be able to help me, guide me to ultimately making Alabama home.

Q. How have you seen Brian Branch progress throughout this season to become the starter he's become at star?

HENRY TO'OTO'O: Branch has been a huge part for us too. He does a great job, he's physical. And he communicates a lot. He does a really great job. I think our whole secondary does a great job. We all feed off of each other. I think we all gel well as a secondary.

Q. What can you say about being on a team that has so many former head coaches with Nick Saban? Just what is it like to have a bunch of head coaches that have experience at the NFL level and collegiately, and what it does for you as a player?

HENRY TO'OTO'O: It's huge to have coaches that know how the game is supposed to look, how you're supposed to play. It's huge for us as players being able to have guys like that. We love them. We trust them.

It's the knowledge. This game is full of knowledge. You've got to know a lot of things in this game. And being able to have guys who's been at the higher level who knows this game in and out, and being able to feed us with that knowledge is huge.

Q. I know you've been on the other side and more outside of this Georgia-Alabama rivalry until this year. But I'm curious if you could talk about the mental challenge that you think Georgia might have in facing you guys just because Alabama has always had Georgia's number in that? From the outside, do you see this Georgia-Alabama rivalry as, I guess how do you see that?

HENRY TO'OTO'O: Looking from the outside in, it's always been a hard-fought game. Georgia is going to come out and play the hardest game. They're a great team. And I don't think they have any mental or kind of something blocking them mentally from winning.

I think Georgia is going to come out and play hard, fast and physical as they usually do. They're going to play their game. Georgia is a tremendous team. And it's up to us to answer the bell, how we respond, how we execute, how we do, how we play. And we're excited for the challenge.

Q. If I'm not mistaken, this is going to be your fourth time playing Georgia, dating back to your days at Tennessee. How much have you seen Georgia grow over the last two to three years? And what's it going to be like with this matchup going against Stetson Bennett, who you are familiar with?

HENRY TO'OTO'O: Georgia's always been Georgia -- big, fast, physical. Trying to punch you in the mouth every single down. Like I said before, it's a huge challenge for us being able to answer the bell.

But my fourth time playing them now, I'm excited. It's always a huge challenge. It's always one of those games that I mark on my calendar to be able to execute. I've got to put my best foot forward. That's every single game but Georgia has that extra fight, that dog in them that they're never going to back down and they're always going to keep punching.