It can't be said that Malachi Moore is getting a pass for his actions in the final minute of Alabama football 's 40-35 loss to Vanderbilt. But this much we know: he'll be on the field Saturday when the Crimson Tide plays host to South Carolina because first-year coach Kalen DeBoer has chosen not to suspend him, citing his prior track record as a teammate and strong representative of the program .
Both DeBoer and defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said Monday that the senior safety is being held accountable after he put a late hit on Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia, slung his mouthpiece, drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for kicking a ball that had been spotted by officials, and refused to come out of the game when Wommack tried to substitute Bray Hubbard in for the infuriated Moore.
But what that accountability looks like won't be made public.
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Keeping details of how players are disciplined in-house is nothing new, at Alabama or elsewhere. Former UA coach Nick Saban usually kept disciplinary action internal as well, except in cases where a player's absence from a game made a suspension obvious. But there was nothing internal or in-house about Moore's display in front of an SEC Network audience. It was deemed "unacceptable," by UA linebacker Que Robinson after the game, and a day later, former Alabama running back Damien Harris ripped both Moore and DeBoer .
In explaining why a suspension wasn't levied, DeBoer noted Moore's character and loyalty to the program since the first day DeBoer replaced Saban in January.
"It doesn't make it right. It doesn't make it right by any means, some of what his actions were," DeBoer said. "But I want people to understand also that he's had my and our back since Day One, and there comes a point too where sometimes as things play out, you've got to have your guy's back as well."
Sometimes, however, having your player's back means sitting him down. It can be best for the player, and at the same time, send the best possible message to the team.
I won't fault DeBoer for weighing Moore's track record into whatever disciplinary action has been taken, nor will I criticize the decision not to suspend him without knowing what that action was. But Moore's sterling track record is what makes his meltdown more complicated, not more simple, to address. It would be a different conversation had a freshman similarly lost his mind, and gotten checked for it by a team captain like Moore. That would have put leadership on display, rather than put it in question. But when it's a two-time captain modeling immaturity, it reflects on the coaching staff as well.
Of all the things Moore did that were regrettable, the worst of it from Alabama's perspective wasn't the late hit that didn't get flagged, or the kicked ball that did get flagged. It was his refusal to come out of the game, which was direct affront to a new coaching staff that needs buy-in from every player, but needs it most from its captains.
Moore issued a social media mea culpa on Monday morning, about an hour before Wommack spoke at a news conference. It was a 160-word apology, but these 60 were the crux of it: "I was completely out of line. I let the emotions of the game get the best of me and put myself before the team. As a two-time captain and a fifth-year player, I understand the standard that we are expected to live up to at Alabama, and I failed to do so by acting in a selfish and unacceptable manner."
Moore is exactly right about all of that, and his track record will apparently keep him on the field this Saturday.
But his tantrum is now part of his track record, too.
And for DeBoer, internal discipline must also be effective.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X.com @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Making sense of Alabama football's decision not to suspend DB Moore
