Bryce Young chose Alabama for one simple reason. That didn’t mean his path would be easy.

“For me, I was just looking for the best fit – a place that would push me to be the best person I could be,” the quarterback said during an interview with Kirk Herbstreit on College GameDay.

Young apparently made a good choice. He’ll lead the Crimson Tide into today’s SEC Championship game against Georgia with an SEC title and a berth in the College Football Playoff on the line. Young is also a strong contender – if not the favorite – to win The Heisman Trophy in his first season as a starter.

Young could have gone to several other schools including any of the premier colleges on the west coast. The five-star prospect from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif. committed to Southern California before deciding to attend Alabama instead. Young also considered several other high-profile schools, including Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Penn State, Ohio State and Tennessee.

Like most highly rated quarterbacks, Young expected to start immediately at Alabama. However, the sophomore had to watch fellow quarterback Mac Jones lead Alabama to a national championship as its starting quarterback instead of Young.

“I would be lying if I said that wasn’t difficult,” Young admitted.

Young said it took a couple of games last season for him to accept his role as Alabama’s back-up quarterback. He then had to face a tough question and make an important decision.

“Am I going to be bitter or am I going to be mad or am I going to understand the opportunity that I have?” Young said. “That opportunity was to learn and to grow.”

Young said he learned how to become a better leader while Jones was leading the Tide. Now, Young’s turn.

Young is now the undeniable leader of Alabama’s offense. That will be challenging today as the Crimson Tide takes on Georgia in The SEC Championship Game. Despite its legacy, Alabama is a 6 1/2-point underdog to the Bulldogs when the game kicks off at 4 p.m. EST today in Atlanta.