The message Nick Saban relayed to his team behind closed doors was also delivered earlier this week from a podium in front of a phalanx of cameras and an audience of reporters.
During a news conference Tuesday, the Alabama coach expressed some doubt about his reconstructed defense -- openly questioning the leadership, experience and intangible qualities of the players that populate that side of the ball.
He noted that the "Alpha-dog" personality that permeated the unit in years past has yet to emerge. When a reporter asked Saban his reservations about the depth in the middle of the defensive line, the coach offered up a pointed response.