By Michael Casagrande
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – His mind racing just moments after winning the Heisman Trophy last December, Mark Ingram faced three thought-provoking questions from his Alabama coach, Nick Saban.
Life most certainly will change, Saban promised on the walk from the theater to a news conference across the New York City street.
“Is this going to change you?”
“How are you going to respond to the people and how will they respond to you?”
“How are you going to do something to affect others because of the status you gained by winning this award?”
Recalling the conversation Wednesday afternoon, Saban said Ingram looked at him funny after the second question. It took a few weeks, but the light bulb went on after Ingram’s status grew larger than he ever expected.
Now, three months after winning football’s most prized individual honor, Ingram is still adjusting to his life in the spotlight – one that never dims no matter where he goes.
“I’m learning how to deal with it on the go, and I get advice from people along the way,” he said. “Just going to Walmart or to the mall, you really can’t go without people bothering you. But, I mean, it just comes with the territory. You just learn to deal with it.”
Requests to speak, autograph or just appear have also flooded into his life. The sheer volume of such overtures makes it impossible to fulfill them all, so Ingram gets a hand from athletic department staffers in saying a polite “no thanks” when necessary.
Although he acknowledged his rising celebrity affects every day life, he’s not alone. Ingram said nearly every team member’s profile rose after the Crimson Tide won the national title in January.
The time has come, though, to put most of that glory in the past.
After rolling up a school record 1,658 yards as a sophomore driving force of the Tide offense, Ingram continually looks for ways to improve on his Heisman season.
“Running harder, pass protection, being a better student of the game – there’s always room to improve,” Ingram said.
Saban said he has “no complaints” regarding Ingram’s offseason workouts and preparations for the sequel. At the very least, he doesn’t appear to have allowed the award get to his head.
And Saban would like to keep it that way.
“You’re going to be evaluated on what you do in the future,” Saban said he’s told Ingram. “The award you’ve won is based on what you did in the past. That’s all about history. So if you have other goals and aspirations as a football player, they are going to come from what you do in the future. He’s responded and worked fairly well through all that.”
Ingram’s recent history still is gaining praise. He was named one of 14 semifinalists for the Sullivan Award on Wednesday. The AAU presents the 80-year-old award to the nation’s best amateur athlete. Only five football players have been honored.
Finalists will be named April 2, and the award ceremony is set for April 14 in New York City.