Alabama crushed Eastern Illinois 56-0 on Saturday, keeping its playoff hopes alive. The offense was explosive, and the defense was impenetrable. Yet one issue lingered. Kicker Conor Talty missed another field goal, a 28-yard chip shot, and a voracious crowd in Bryant-Denny Stadium booed him. Following head coach Kalen DeBoer’s public defense of his kicker, wide receiver Germie Bernard has now stepped into the fray to defend his embattled teammate.

“It just suc-s for the fans to do that. Like, that was really classless. It’s just they shouldn’t be doing that, man, regardless of, he’s making field goals or not. And, obviously, he doesn’t want to go out there and miss field goals. And, you know what I’m saying, it is what it is, man. Like, it’s part of the game,” Bernard said about Bama fans’ treatment of their kicker on The Next Round podcast on November 26. 

From the fans’ POV, the Week 13 miss wasn’t an isolated incident. The frustration has been building up for a while. Just a week earlier, against Oklahoma, Talty missed a 36-yard attempt with little time left in the first half. The kick would have tied the game that Alabama lost 23-21. But the miss was one thing. His reaction towards his long snapper, David Bird, made the matter worse. Talty was seen screaming at Bird after the miss. 

More importantly, Talty’s numbers don’t put any confidence in the Tide fans every time he steps up to convert a field goal. He has missed 7 of his 18 FG attempts this season, with an abysmal 61.1% completion rate. The Tide is 94th nationally in FG completion. There is a worrying trend for Kalen DeBoer because Talty has failed to make his last two kicks from the 20-29 yard range. Interestingly, he has made 5 out of his 8 attempts from the 40-49 yard range. But Bernad continues to have his back. 

“When he’s making field goals, they’re going to praise him. When he’s missing, they’re going to blame him. But, like, he needs his brothers behind him. And he knows that we’re behind him 100%. So, like, that’s really all that matters,”​ Bernard continued. 

But it remains to be seen how long the locker room will have his back, given Talty’s outburst in the Oklahoma game. For now, they look to be united, as others have lent their support to Talty. Following the Illinois game, cornerback Zabien Brown defended his kicker, posting on his Instagram story that fans booing their own kicker were “lame.” DeBoer has maintained his public support for Talty. Even after putting in other kickers for extra point duties, he called it a rotation scheme rather than a reflection of Talty’s performance. 

The question facing Alabama is whether team support will be enough to turn Conor Talty’s season around. With the Iron Bowl approaching and playoff hopes hanging in the balance, the Crimson Tide needs its kicker to find his footing.

Kalen DeBoer delivers Conor Talty verdict

Kalen DeBoer has intervened to defend Conor Talty amid his disastrous campaign. The Alabama head coach is betting the Crimson Tide’s playoff future on his struggling kicker.

“We’re gonna need him throughout the rest of the year. I know he’s giving everything he has. He cares about this team a lot,” DeBoer said. “I wish they’d have his back like I know our locker room has his back. He’s working hard. He had a great week of practice. I don’t think he missed one all week, and we put them all over the place. He’s going to keep plugging away. Just want everyone’s support. He’s just like every other player on our football team, giving everything he has.”​

DeBoer’s message extends beyond the game, as he discusses accountability and compassion in high-pressure environments. By defending Talty, he is sending a message to the locker room that the strength of character matters as much as performance on the field. For Talty, who ranks 106th out of 119 kickers nationally in field goal percentage, this backing provides psychological shelter during the worst time of his career.