Alabama veteran DL tells why he returned for fifth year: ‘I’m going to leave with a championship’
Alabama football’s defensive lineman, Tim Keenan III feels his job at the University of Alabama as a member of the Crimson Tide is not done..
Keenan started for the Tide in 2024 and finished the year with 40 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. The Birmingham, Alabama native announced he was returning to the Crimson Tide a few days after the Tide lost to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
“I put my trust in God,” Keenan told reporters when asked about his decision to return for a fifth year. “I believe in the guys here, believe in the coaches here. I believe in the system. I really believe in the University of Alabama. I told myself and I told Coach Saban when I came to University of Alabama, I’m gonna leave with a championship.”
Alabama went 9-4 during the Tide’s first year under Kalen DeBoer, and Keenan feels the standard at Alabama was not reflected in the four-loss season.
“Going 9-4, that’s not the standard here at University of Alabama,” Keenan said. “Growing up, I always seen the dominant team, and you always have bounce back years or years where it seemed like you rebuilding, but that was not the standard. It’s been continuous work, day in and day out to get to where we want to be.”
Keenan is expected to be one of Alabama’s leaders during the 2025 season.
