Tim Keenan had to be honest.
The Alabama football defensive lineman grew up in a divided family. Some were Crimson Tide fans. Some were Auburn fans. And while Keenan said he was " Alabama all the way through," there was one Tigers player he admired.
"To be honest, there was a time where I did like Cam Newton ," Keenan said. "Just a fan of Cam Newton. But other than that, it was all Roll Tide as soon as I could walk to, of course, now."
Keenan doesn't know what it's like to lose to Auburn i n the Iron Bowl, having been a part of three wins in three years. Nor do fifth-year defensive players Jah-Marien Latham and safety Malachi Moore who already have four wins against the Tigers on their resume.
Latham, who grew up just over 30 miles from Tuscaloosa, said the Iron Bowl was something talked about every year. Ever since he knew what football was, Latham said, the Iron Bowl was at the top of his mind.
"It don't get too much better than the Iron Bowl," Latham said. "I've even been in other states where they talk about the Iron Bowl. That lets me know the significance it has in college football."
Yes, the last weekend of November means the return of Texas vs. Texas A&M , and "The Game" between Ohio State and Michigan . None of those games meant much to Moore.
"Being here and growing up in Alabama, I've always heard of the Iron Bowl and not really too much of any other rivalry other than the Iron Bowl," Moore said.
It's why Moore plays for Alabama, to be a part of games like the Iron Bowl, to create value for himself and for the rest of his team.
"It's a game about pride," Moore said.
Disregard where Alabama and Auburn stand. Pride's on the line, something Keenan knows incredibly well.
"I feel like the Iron Bowl is the pivotal moment for college football," Keenan said. "Especially down here in Alabama. Like this is bigger than kind of what they call gang violence pretty much. Because football is religion down here in the south especially in Alabama."
Alabama hosts Auburn at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium on ABC. Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: What does the Iron Bowl mean to Alabama football seniors?
