‘I Can Only Do One Rep…’ — Alabama’s 6’7″, 360-Pound Kadyn Proctor Stuns Reporters with Humble Fall Camp Confession, Then Shatters Limits
On the third sweltering day of Alabama’s 2025 fall football camp, the media gathered at the practice fields expecting another round of coachspeak, injury updates, and stock quotes from veteran players. What they got instead was a moment of raw honesty from one of the most physically imposing figures in college football — a moment that would transform into a story of grit, humility, and an unforgettable breakthrough.
Standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing 360 pounds, sophomore offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor doesn’t exactly blend into the crowd. A mountain of a man with quick feet and heavy hands, Proctor was one of the most heralded recruits in the country when he originally committed to Iowa, flipped to Alabama in late 2022, then transferred briefly before returning to the Crimson Tide in 2024. Now entering his second full season in Tuscaloosa, he’s expected to anchor Alabama’s offensive line under head coach Kalen DeBoer.
But on that Thursday morning, Proctor stunned reporters not with his size or his reputation — but with a simple, almost whispered confession:
“I can only do one rep right now.”
There was a pause. The media froze, unsure what he meant. One rep of what? A squat? A bench press? A sprint?
Proctor clarified. “Mentally. I had to start thinking that way. One rep. One step. One practice. That’s all I could give at first. I wasn’t where I needed to be. Not mentally, not emotionally.”
The room shifted.
In a sport often defined by bravado and invincibility, Proctor’s willingness to open up about his struggles was a jarring, unexpected, and deeply human moment. He didn’t offer excuses. He didn’t hide behind clichés. Instead, the towering lineman shared his path from doubt to dominance — and how his journey back to Alabama wasn’t just about football. It was about self-worth, identity, and proving something far bigger than pancake blocks and pass protection.
Kadyn Proctor’s journey hasn’t been a straight line. After initially playing a full season at Alabama as a freshman in 2023, he surprised many by transferring to Iowa in early 2024. The move raised eyebrows — some questioned his commitment, others speculated about off-field issues. But after just one spring in Iowa City, Proctor made the difficult decision to return to Alabama.
“People don’t understand how tough that was,” he said. “Leaving, coming back… I felt like I had something to prove to everybody, but mostly to myself.”
He re-entered a locker room that had changed. New head coach. New offensive scheme. New expectations. And though he remained a favorite to start at left tackle, Proctor admitted he wasn’t in the right place mentally to handle the grind of elite-level football.
“I came back with all this pressure on me,” he said. “But inside, I felt like I was carrying a backpack full of bricks. I wasn’t eating right. I wasn’t sleeping. I doubted myself.”
The coaching staff noticed. Strength coaches said he was moving slower than usual in drills. He’d dominate one snap, then seem gassed the next. The film told a story of inconsistency — flashes of brilliance surrounded by moments of hesitation.
That’s when offensive line coach Scott Huff pulled him aside and gave him a message he wouldn’t forget.
“He said, ‘Kadyn, stop trying to win the whole game in one play. Just win the rep you’re in.’ That hit me,” Proctor said. “It was like permission to breathe again.”
From that point forward, Proctor changed his internal dialogue. No more pressure to be perfect. No more anxiety over depth charts or draft stock or online critics. Just one rep. Then another. Then another.
Alabama’s fifth practice of fall camp was a full-pad, full-contact session. Temperatures in Tuscaloosa were pushing triple digits. Coaches were pushing players even harder. It was the type of practice that separates leaders from role players — and Proctor rose to the challenge.
Lined up across from one of Alabama’s top edge rushers — All-SEC candidate Marvin Alexander — Proctor dominated during the team’s third 11-on-11 period. On one rep, he stonewalled Alexander with a perfectly timed punch and footwork so clean that offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan clapped from behind the play. On the next, he executed a pull block that sent a linebacker sprawling, springing the running back for a 12-yard gain.
And then it kept happening. Again. And again.
Reporters who had watched him move cautiously just days earlier now saw a different Proctor — violent, precise, and locked in. Teammates on the sideline began shouting his name. Coaches roared approval. The rest of the offensive line fed off his energy.
After the final whistle, Proctor collapsed to a knee. Not from exhaustion — from release.
“I proved it to myself,” he said later. “I can do more than one rep.”
Since that practice, the buzz around Proctor has exploded. Kalen DeBoer, normally measured in his praise, didn’t hold back.
“We always knew what Kadyn was capable of physically,” DeBoer said. “But when his mindset clicked? That’s when you get a first-round NFL tackle. That’s what we’re seeing now.”
Quarterback Ty Simpson, currently battling for the starting job, offered even higher praise.
“He’s a wall,” Simpson said. “When he’s on his game, I don’t worry about my blind side. Period.”
NFL scouts have started circling his name again. After an up-and-down freshman campaign, Proctor’s stock had dipped on many draft boards. But word of his fall camp resurgence has spread quickly. One AFC scout in attendance for Alabama’s scrimmage said:
“Kadyn Proctor looks like the best left tackle in the country right now. He’s not just big — he’s balanced, smart, and mean.”
Still, Proctor isn’t crowing. If anything, his humble confession earlier in camp seems to have grounded him even more.
“I’m not trying to be a star,” he said. “I’m trying to be reliable. I want my guys to know I’ll be there every snap. And if I mess up? Next rep. That’s it.”
That humility has turned him into a quiet leader on the line. Younger players gravitate toward him. During water breaks, he’s often seen reviewing technique with freshmen or offering tips between drills. He’s become a presence — not just because of his size, but because of his growth.
Coach Huff said it best: “Kadyn has gone from surviving camp to owning it.”
Proctor’s story is, in many ways, a microcosm of Alabama football in 2025. The Crimson Tide are navigating change — a new staff, a reimagined offense, and a world where tradition must meet innovation. Players like Proctor, who’ve faced adversity, made mistakes, and grown from them, are now the backbone of the program.
This version of Alabama isn’t just about dominance — it’s about development.
Proctor’s evolution from a transfer question mark to a cornerstone player isn’t just a feel-good story — it’s a warning to opposing defenses.
The kid who said he could only do one rep? He’s now stacking them by the dozen. And he’s bulldozing everything in his path.
Alabama opens its season in less than a month against Texas Tech, a game that will test the new offensive line immediately. Proctor is expected to start at left tackle — and if fall camp is any indication, he’ll be more than ready.
Asked if he still tells himself “one rep at a time,” Proctor smiled.
“Every day. But now? I believe in what comes after that first rep. I believe in all of it.”
For a program looking to reclaim its edge, Kadyn Proctor’s transformation may be the most important rep they’ve gotten all summer.
