ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY PRUDENTIAL: ALABAMA VS INDIANA

December 30, 2025

Ty Simpson

Alabama Crimson Tide

Press Conference

Q. Talking about the job not finished, Kobe Bryant, was that a mentality that you developed early on in the season?

TY SIMPSON: Yeah, absolutely. After the Florida State game, we got a lot of ball left, a lot to prove. That's been our mindset all season: The job is not finished until the very last game of the season.

That's our plan and our mindset going into every game, that we're not going to end till January 19th.

Q. What is it about Kobe Bryant that inspires you so much?

TY SIMPSON: Yeah, I have a lot of respect for Kobe and (indiscernible) and Brady, just because of their mentality. Kobe is famous not only for basketball, but his mentality. I think as a quarterback, it's important to have that mentality of coming in and not caring about anything except winning. I think that's what the great ones do so well.

Q. Looking at the other team defensively, what are some of the challenges they present?

TY SIMPSON: Yeah, disciplined. Rarely do they mess up. It's quite impressive how well they play together. Everybody does their job very, very well. That's why they're very high on the defensive statistics of the ball.

Also how hard they play. Their guys are flying around. There's always one or two or three or four guys at the ball. It's really, really impressive what they do so well. Hats off to them.

Q. Alabama 2026 or move on to the pros?

TY SIMPSON: I haven't really thought about it much, to be honest with you, just because of the big game coming up, so...

Q. (No microphone.)

TY SIMPSON: Yeah, I was listening to Morgan Wallen coming in. Kind of my go-to all the time. Coach emphasizes starting fast, not waiting till the second quarter like we did last week.

It starts with doing our job. If everybody does their job, we communicate well, start fast, we'll get things going.

Super excited, super blessed. God has put me here, our team. It's been a dream come true. Thought about this when I was a kid. All the memories, the granddaddy of them all, this bowl game. Getting an opportunity to play is a dream come true.

Q. Talk about the journey getting here.

TY SIMPSON: It was hard. Not only for my journey, but the team in general. Started off the year, everybody counted us out, like I said. Just the resiliency this team has showed, my teammates, everything that we've had from adversity. Not just that, but the good ones as well, the good wins. It's been fun. I'm excited to keep it going.

Q. (Question about the 2024 loss.)

TY SIMPSON: Absolutely, I think about it all the time, how we felt in the locker room, how it ended. Thinking about all the scenarios of the game to where we should have won and should have put it away. I think back to losing.

Just got back and guys who remembered it, making sure it doesn't happen again, have that mindset of doing your job and enjoying the process.

Q. We've heard you're into LEGOs. What is your favorite? How does that help you unwind?

TY SIMPSON: My favorite ones, I had Star Tower, which it took me about three days to do that over spring break. That was one. Then I have The Office. I have The Office in a glass case. Those are my two favorite.

I really enjoy it because it gets me away from football and gives me something to do with structure bit. Not only that, I can put it up and use it as a decoration or something like that.

I love LEGOs, honestly. It gets me away from football and gets my mind out of things.

Q. (Question about Fernando.)

TY SIMPSON: I haven't watched him in-depth. I've seen some highlights. One, how tough he is. I've seen some crazy hits he's taken when he's in the pocket.

Two, I remember watching the Penn State game, just how poised he is. He's a big guy, being able to take those hits, get hit again and again, then throwing a game-winning touchdown is pretty impressive. Hats off to him and everything he's done this year.

Q. What do you think of Indiana, the team in general, their program?

TY SIMPSON: Yeah, as a coach's son, I understand how hard it is to rebuild a program. But the job that Curt Cignetti has done, the players have come together and play for each other at the end, it's been remarkable.

Everybody wants to talk about how they went from I guess a losing record to making the Playoffs two years in a row, it's very, very impressive and remarkable honestly. The turnaround they've had, just how disciplined they are.

I know Coach Cignetti talks about Coach Saban a lot. I'm sure the values and principles are similar to Alabama. Hats off to their coaches and A.D., everything they've done, but also the players as well.

Q. What is it like going up against a team like that, all the attention?

TY SIMPSON: Yes, it's what you want honestly, right? We talk about having our backs to the wall, being an underdog. It's crazy to think that in 2025 Alabama is thought about this way.

We kind of embrace it as a team. I do especially just because everybody, like I said, wrote us off, didn't expect us to get here. The point of proving people wrong is what we want. We're all here for it.

Q. The win against Oklahoma...

TY SIMPSON: I know the week before the SEC Championship, we put our best foot forward. Everybody knew that. Due to the circumstances, that's not an excuse. We had to prove people wrong again.

All the noise of just not being a good team, us not being tough, we shouldn't be in the Playoffs. We come out with a win. Same thing here this week, being an underdog, playing against the No. 1 team, you got to love that. That's why you play college football, why you come to the University of Alabama.

Q. (Question about Fernando.)

TY SIMPSON: Yeah, I said it earlier. I haven't watched him in-depth at all. I've seen some highlights just how tough he is, how big he is, how poised he is.

Of course, I know he's like a double major not only at Cal but at Indiana. I'm sure he's super, super smart. Heisman Trophy winner. A ton of respect for him on everything he's done.

I think it's awesome where his brother plays for Indiana, as well. I think it's really, really cool. I have a little brother as well who wants to play college football. I want to have the opportunity to play with him. Seeing those guys, family being on the same team, I think is really cool, so...

Q. (Question about Indiana.)

TY SIMPSON: One, how tough they are, how disciplined they are. They rarely mess up. Everyone knows what to do and they do it very, very well.

Two, how well they play together. Everybody has their spot. Everybody knows where to go.

Three, how hard they play. There's always multiple guys running to the ball. They rarely give up, whether their guy is across the field or anything like that. It's always multiple guys trying to get the football, trying to get it out. That's why statistically they're one of the best defenses in the country.

We got to be on our Ps and Qs, got to do our job, go have fun.

Q. (Question about the 2024 loss.)

TY SIMPSON: Yeah, I remember that game, just having opportunities honestly to put it away. We just never did. We had a chance, and we didn't.

Remembering, feeling that way in the locker room, just know everybody is upset and sad, knowing we had a chance to go and win it. The team that we win against won the championship.

I'm very grateful my time sitting behind Jalen and learning from him, him being a mentor for me, showing me all different types of stuff, how he prepares, what he does. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't sitting behind him and Bryce. I think about that all the time.

Q. Does the team have a chip-on-their-shoulder mentality?

TY SIMPSON: That's how it's been all season, just how we started off the season, losing that first game, everybody questioning us, not knowing if we're a good team or not.

Like I said, being able to prove everybody wrong, have a little adversity, is what we want. Being backed in the corner, most people kind of sit down and don't fight. These guys, this team, are fighters. We're going to do everything we can to fight and claw and get out. That's what we've shown through our schedule, through the season.

Here we are now in the Rose Bowl playing against the No. 1 team in the country. Very excited.

Q. (Question about resilience of the team.)

TY SIMPSON: This team are fighters. I said that earlier, just how resilient we are. We're never going to give up no matter what the score is.

Two, our offense is very explosive. We just got to do our job. We got to understand that when everybody communicates, does their job, not make things bigger than what they are, we'll go up the field. That's what we've shown. We've shown spurts of it. It's not as consistent as we want it to be.

Better late than never to get fired up. Very excited for the opportunity.

Q. (Question about defensive coordinators, having the band back together.)

TY SIMPSON: Yeah, 'the band back together', I like that.

Credit to Coach DeBoer, Coach Sheridan, Coach Grubb, Mitch Dahlen, who is at Oregon State now. Those guys have taught me a lot about ball, defense and offense in general, just expanding my ball knowledge.

They've all been coordinators or called plays at some type of level. No ego gets in the way. They're always bouncing ideas off each other. They're always on the same page.

I know that's hard just because how it was last year with Coach Sheridan calling plays, now Coach Grubb coming in, Mitch calling plays. As a coach's son, I know how difficult that is just kind of go behind the scenes.

Being able to go to the meetings every day knowing you have all those guys helping you is a quarterback's dream.

Q. What does Coach Grubb do different than what you've done in the past?

TY SIMPSON: I think they have a lot of similarities, honestly, that people don't really realize and understand. But I think with Coach Grubb, what he does so well, he tries to pair everything together. That's what I've learned the most about, Hey, this is the intent of the play and this is why we're running it, and this is what we've shown after that, our tendencies.

Q. (Question about Coach Sheridan.)

TY SIMPSON: Yeah, super excited for him and his family, Coach Sheridan. Ton of respect for him. He's helped me get here.

We go way back. I remember when I was getting recruited by Indiana and by Coach Sheridan, him being there. Full circle him being my coach.

But not only am I super excited for Coach Sheridan and his family, but Michigan State, as well, because they're getting a huge asset to their program and a great coach. Being able to have three coaches who have helped me go somewhere else to be coordinators, I take a little pride in that knowing our offense is that explosive and that cool to be able to have three guys go and call plays, so...

Just a ton of respect. I can't thank them enough.