Jake Coker isn't like the others. His story varies from the rest of Alabama's football roster.

It has some of those redemptive qualities commonly found in college sports. Perhaps Coker's path from hero savior to backup and then to the College Football Playoff isn't fit for a movie. But the Alabama quarterback isn't that kind of guy.

He stands at the middle of Alabama's blue-collar slog back to the semifinals while preferring life outside the spotlight.

Coker's shy.

He'd rather go hunting than out for the night.

And the Mobile product who grew up in Crimson Tide gear finds himself living a fantasy shared by so many Alabama kids.

"How wonderful is it to realize your dream?" said Coker's mom, Michelle Spires. "How many people get to do that? Not that many. He just feels like he's one of the luckiest guys alive."

It's not over, either. Coker will lead Alabama to the Dec. 31 Cotton Bowl against Michigan State as the first Tide quarterback to grow up cheering for the program since John Parker Wilson graduated in 2008.

It's significant because of the twisting path that led him to Dallas. From three years on Florida State's bench to the can't-miss graduate transfer, Coker's 2014 was a runaway train of unrealistic expectations. The Maxwell Award put him on the preseason watch list before his first Tuscaloosa practice.

That's not easy for the private passer that teammate Reggie Ragland calls "a good ol' country boy." He played in just six games last year, never starting. There were no guarantees entering this season -- his last shot as a college football player.

It wasn't until the one game this fall that he didn't start that everything clicked fully. Since a gutsy relief performance in the 43-37 loss to Ole Miss, Coker's taken practically every meaningful snap.

He won the team that night. Alabama hasn't lost since.

***

David Morris remains in touch with Coker, though he tries not to overload him in the season. The private quarterback coach who helped mold the passer into the player he's become. Morris was there for the disappointment of 2014. A lot's changed in a year.

Without hesitation, Morris identifies the quintessential Coker moment from this fall (his scrambling touchdown throw to ArDarius Stewart in the Iron Bowl) and the areas he's improved most. Confidence in the playbook and operating within the program are the more easily identified differences. The structure of Florida State's operation was vastly different from Alabama's, so there was an adjustment period last summer. There's just a different level of command in his game in Year 2 in Tuscaloosa.

"I think his quick-game is something that is happening faster," Morris said. "The ability to catch it and get rid of it or the ability to be under center and, one step get the ball out of your hand. I feel like that's quicker and better than it was last year or the beginning of last season. You also don't see him forcing a lot of balls."

Of Coker's eight interceptions, six were thrown in the first six games. There was still a competition early in the year and Morris said that may have factored into attempts to make plays when they weren't there.

That battle -- easily the longest of the Nick Saban era -- culminated in the defining moment of Coker's season. The dream was still in question when Cooper Bateman got the surprise start against Ole Miss after Coker earned the first two. An interception five minutes into the second quarter brought Coker off the bench. What followed was a bizarre marathon of wild plays, turnovers within a statement of ownership.

Coker threw 45 passes, completed 21 while scoring three touchdowns. He was also intercepted twice, but his instinctive quarterback runs and fearless approach to tacklers spoke to his teammates.

"The guy competed and played and ran the ball and made some great throws," Saban said. "I think he won the team over with the way he competed in the game. I think that was probably the most significant thing that happened for Jake."

Coker can laugh a little now acknowledging his disappointment in the benching. That Ole Miss loss was an anomaly in the sense that Alabama played from behind practically all night. Coker threw no more than 33 times the rest of the season. The balance established with Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry's 1,986 rushing yards carved out Alabama's once-elusive offensive identity.

And when the big plays tailed off in the running game, Coker made a few big throws in the final few games in crucial moments. There was the 55-yard pass to favorite target Calvin Ridley that sparked a stagnant offense in the SEC Championship Game win over Florida. Morris's favorite was that touchdown in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Taking the shotgun snap, Coker evaded two defenders while scrambling to his right. Launching a 40-yard throw on the run, he found Stewart behind two defenders for a 19-6 third-quarter lead.

"That was kind of a wow moment," Morris said. "You see his potential, his upside, his athleticism and his talent in that play."

Fewer risky throws and calculated deep shots pushed Coker's regular-season completion percentage to 65.7. His 338 passing attempts were down from the 355 Blake Sims threw last year in the first 13 games. The addition of the jet sweep this season inflated some of the passing numbers since they're essentially a one-yard toss.

Still, with the success came less of the criticism Spires tries to block out. The invisible bubble over Alabama's football complex and Coker's disinterest in social media helps reduce the noise. It also raised the profile of a guy who famously avoids fame.

***

Until last year, Coker owned a flip phone. So technology isn't his thing. He's more of a throwback to a different generation. The occasional "heck" or "gosh" will slip into a Coker interview.

He laughed at the suggestion he was a celebrity in Tuscaloosa or around the state.

"Outside of here, I really don't go out and do anything," Coker said. "I just hang out with my buddies at somebody's house, and when I go home I stay at my house, so I kind of stay away from all that. But when I do, it's nice to have people appreciate what we do."

Morris also chuckles at the way Coker handles the notoriety. The QB Country founder sat with his student in Bryant-Denny Stadium for St. Paul's state championship win over Mortimer Jordan on Dec. 3. One by one, kids came up to get his picture like a receiving line.

"Hey man," Morris told him. "You need to get better at saying 'Hey, everybody get around, we'll take one group pic, and you can share it."

Back home, Spires said people typically respect her son's space without overwhelming him with requests. They have a farm outside Mobile that serves as the perfect escape from the demands of his day job. That said, he doesn't turn down requests for an autograph when requested. In a sense, he's like a politician.

"It's funny," she said, "when he comes here in the country, people always want their babies to be in pictures with Jake ... I think that's a big deal here."

***

Sports and the University of Alabama were early love affairs for a young Coker. The whole bloodline it seemed was athletes. His older brother Patrick played football at the Air Force Academy where sister Shelley Spires currently runs track and plays volleyball.

Michelle Spires can't remember exactly when her son wore his favorite Alabama hat or jersey, but it was early. In the massive family football games on the beach, Jake was always in the middle of it. Mom calls him "very tenacious," and that became apparent any time he'd dip a shoulder on a linebacker this fall.