Former Tide star Upchurch begins new journey as JAG head coach
Former Alabama running back Roy Upchurch is the new football coach at JAG. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
Roy Upchurch was a running back on a national championship team at Alabama, but the new JAG football coach is living a new chapter in his life’s journey.
“I try not to wear that,” Upchurch said. “I just want to be ‘Coach’ and build these guys up. I had the dream as well. It all started with the dream. If they just hone in on their own dreams, it may manifest. Everybody’s not able to go Division I-A, but you can graduate from high school and even if it’s junior college, that doesn’t matter, just make sure you’re checking the box for you.
“They do Google me and YouTube me. They give me a hard time about the Virginia Tech fumble.”
In the opening game of the 2009 season, Upchurch had a third-quarter fumble against the Hokies with his team trailing 17-16, but Alabama went on to win 34-24 in the first game of a 14-0 season that culminated with a win over Texas for the national championship.
These days, Upchurch is known more for his coaching ability. He broke into the coaching ranks as an assistant coach at IMG Academy in Florida, which later led to a job as a strength and conditioning coach and a running backs coach at Pinson Valley in 2021 and 2022, then as an offensive coordinator under 2009 Alabama teammate Chavis Williams at Dora last season. In February, he was hired as the coach at JAG, trying to guide the Jaguars out of their inaugural 0-10 season last year.
“There’s just so much good football that Coach (Nick) Saban instilled in me,” Upchurch said. “And (offensive coordinator Jim) McElwain did such a good job for me to go back and watch games as a play caller. I remember all the plays from the playbook and to pass it on to these guys is easy.”
Upchurch can tell his players plenty of stories about heartbreak and overcoming obstacles as well. A highly recruited four-star running back, he was a Parade All-American at Tallahassee’s Godby High after rushing for 2,548 yards and 27 touchdowns his senior season.
He entered Alabama with an opportunity to challenge returning starter Kenneth Darby for playing time, but late in preseason practice a nagging injury to his left ankle turned out to be a bone defect that needed surgery. He was redshirted in 2005, but a rugged rehabilitation schedule returned him ahead of schedule in the spring of 2006, only to be sidelined with a season-ending injury to his right ankle after four games that fall.
He returned in 2007 under new coach Nick Saban, but the ankle injuries had reduced his mobility, at least in the eyes of Saban, who wanted the highly recruited tailback to move to fullback. By Upchurch’s own admission, failing to buy in to the decisions and policies of the new coach left him in the proverbial doghouse, but he did manage to record one of the most memorable plays in program history, catching the game-winning pass from Greg McElroy in the final moments of the 2009 Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium to keep the Tide on track for the national championship.
“You just continue to educate these kids on football,” Upchurch said. “Everybody’s not running the triple option. I’m a running back but I love the ‘Air Raid.’ Those are two different worlds, but at the same time it helps teams grow. We ran the ‘Air Raid’ last year at Dora and it was a very successful season for us.
“But just the accumulation of the knowledge I’ve learned and being able to pass it down to these kids is why I took the job.”
Upchurch and Williams helped Dora to an 8-3 season last year with an offense that scored 415 points but Upchurch will face a bigger challenge at JAG. Still, he’s only been there four months but the physical science teacher already believes his team is on a path toward success.
“Just having these guys in the building and having them in my class and building a rapport with them helps me out so much to know my players,” said Upchurch, who doesn’t think in terms of years or records as much as he preaches teamwork and development for a team that was winless last season.
“That gives these guys backbone, the opportunity to showcase what they want to become,” he said. “Going 0-10 hurt. You see the signs of grit at practice, you see the signs of grit in the jamboree. These guys aren’t content with being the losers in the city. They really want to do well. They show up every day and you’ve got to keep building on that.”
He turned a few heads with a win over Charles Henderson in the spring jamboree. Ironically, he would face the Trojans again in the first round of a 7-on-7 tournament at Alabama State on Tuesday.
“Today’s just another test to identify where we are,” Upchurch said. “Our first opponent was our last opponent, speaking of Charles Henderson. I know they’re going to come with a different demeanor. I just want the guys to check the box that says we’ve evolved. ‘I’m a different player, I have a different mindset.’ If we can continue to get these guys to channel in on their mindset and their approach, I think this team will go far.”
The players were pre-school age the last time Upchurch got people’s attention with his football ability. Now, he’s trying to sell the JAG community on his coaching ability in turning around the Jaguars.
“I just try to show up every single day,” he said. “I had my time in the sun. I just want to be ‘Coach,’ but I’m meeting new people every single day and it’s a good journey for people to be able to believe in me as a coach the way they believed in me as a player.”