TUSCALOOSA, Ala. —
In an era where college football loyalty feels like a fleeting myth — a legend whispered by grandmas and tight ends with portal fatigue — Ty Simpson has become something rare: a true Alabama man, through and through.
This week, Simpson formally declared for the NFL draft, signed his paperwork and closed the book on a Crimson Tide career defined not by convenience, but by conviction. In a sport sprinting toward chaos, Simpson walked the opposite direction — steady, intentional and loyal to the end.
That matters in Tuscaloosa.
Simpson’s exit comes with context that deserves more appreciation than it’s received. The former five-star recruit from Martin, Tennessee didn’t chase the quickest path to stardom. He waited. He developed. He sat behind elite quarterbacks, absorbed the culture and earned his moment the hard way. When it finally came, he didn’t waste it.
As Alabama’s full-time starter in 2025, Simpson threw for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and just five interceptions, completing 64.5% of his passes while guiding the Tide to an 11-4 record and a College Football Playoff quarterfinal appearance. Those numbers weren’t empty calories. They came against SEC defenses, under weekly pressure and with expectations that swallow most quarterbacks whole.
And here’s the part most fans didn’t fully know until recently: Simpson did it while hurt.
He played through injuries that were never public knowledge during the season — including rib issues that limited him late — never using them as an excuse and never removing himself from the responsibility of leading Alabama. That’s not just toughness. That’s quarterbacking the Alabama way.
Then came the offers.
Massive ones.
Simpson reportedly turned down $6.5 million from Miami and $4 million offers from both Tennessee and Ole Miss — numbers that would have changed most players’ lives overnight. Tennessee, of all places, came calling. And Simpson’s answer amounted to a final, quiet laugh on the way out the door.
No portal. No bidding war. No drama.
Instead, Simpson chose to enter the NFL draft and remain a Gump forever.
That decision alone cements his legacy.
In modern college football, loyalty is treated like a personality quirk. Simpson treated it like a value. He didn’t leverage Alabama for cash. He didn’t rewrite his story for convenience. He finished what he started and left on his own terms.
That’s why he feels like the last of a dying breed.
This wasn’t just a quarterback leaving school. This was a campus leader closing a chapter with dignity. Simpson stayed when it would’ve been easier to go. He played through pain when sitting would’ve been safer. He rejected generational money to protect a legacy that can’t be measured in commas.
And make no mistake — the NFL will notice.
When healthy, Simpson projects as a first-round quarterback, and in this draft cycle, he belongs firmly in the top 10 conversation. He has the arm talent, the processing speed and the leadership traits NFL teams covet. With some of the top quarterback prospects already off the board, Simpson’s stock only rises. Scouts will see a player who improved rapidly, protected the football and commanded an elite program without flinching.
Yes, the season ended on a sour note. That happens. It doesn’t erase the body of work.
Ty Simpson didn’t just play quarterback at Alabama — he represented Alabama. He embodied the program’s old-school values in a new-school world. He stayed loyal when loyalty had a price. He chose legacy over leverage.
In a sport sprinting toward free agency in cleats, Simpson planted his flag and reminded everyone that some things still matter in Tuscaloosa.
He wrote his name in crimson flame.
And long after the NIL numbers blur together, Ty Simpson will be remembered for something far rarer:
Doing it the right way.
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