Seated at a table with other Alabama assistant coaches, Derrick Ansley looked around a field covered by reporters in attendance for the Crimson Tide's national championship media day.

Hundreds of reporters were there, interviewing Alabama coaches and players two days before the Tide played Clemson.

"I was a broadcast journalism major, so I know exactly what you guys have to do," a smiling Ansley said.

Alabama's second-year defensive backs coach was once interested in pursuing a career in broadcast journalism and may have done so if not for a coaching opportunity that came about shortly after he graduated from Troy in 2005.

Twelve years later, a 35-year old Ansley continues to establish himself as a rising star in the coaching world aided by skills developed while majoring in broadcast journalism.

"I feel like I have a creative mind as far as being able to produce and put things together, and I think that part marries up with being a defensive coordinator or head coach," Ansley said. "Producing and directing, you've got to put it all together and make one product. So, with us, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday practice, you're putting together the production. Saturday, you go out there and you let the world see it."

***

Ansley was a Stuart Scott fan.

That's where the interest in journalism came from, watching the popular former ESPN anchor.

At Troy, Ansley both produced and served as an anchor in the school's TV studio.

"I feel like I still use that every day," Ansley said. "Talking to the media, you're articulating back and forth. And when I'm putting together my install tape or my meeting tapes for my players, the production and what actually goes into that -- making the decision of what they see vs. what we can hold to get the most important things covered -- I think all those things directly correlate with journalism and broadcasting."

Ansley initially wasn't thinking about coaching after college.

After posting 19 career interceptions as a safety at Troy, Ansley wanted to play in the NFL and had tryouts with the New York Giants and New England Patriots.

Neither signed him, so he thought about heading to the Canadian Football League or potentially pursuing a broadcast journalism job until getting a phone call from one of his old coaches at Troy.

Ansley remembers it being a Saturday morning when he got the call from Mike Turk.

Turk was entering his second season at Huntingdon College, a Division III school in Montgomery.

"I've got a defensive backs job that opened up," Turk said to Ansley. "I want you to have it. Are you interested?"

Ansley wasn't sure at first until heading to Huntingdon to further discuss the job.

Ansley interviewed, took the job as Huntingdon's defensive backs coach and, as he says, "the rest is history."

Five years later, Ansley joined the staff at Alabama after passing up a job with the Tide one year earlier.

Ansley met then-Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart at a Montgomery event during the summer of 2009. Smart eventually offered Ansley a job as an off-field graduate assistant, meaning Ansley could help the Tide behind the scenes but couldn't coach. Ansley told Smart no, a decision he second-guessed while watching Alabama beat Texas in that year's national championship game.

"I was sitting at home watching the national championship game with my wife and I'm like, 'Man, we could be playing for a national championship," Ansley said. "'Did I make the right decision?'"

A year later, Ansley saw Smart at that same event in Montgomery. Smart again offered Ansley a job, this time as an on-the-field grad assistant. Ansley accepted, serving two years in that role before leaving and progressively establishing himself as one of the nation's top young coaches and recruiters at Tennessee, Kentucky and now back at Alabama.

***

While interviewing Ansley for the defensive backs coach job, Nick Saban asked him about his personal goals.

"I told him that I want to be a defensive coordinator at some point during the next couple years and to be a head coach before I'm 40 or early 40s," Ansley said, "and he told me he'd help me with any goals or aspirations I have."

Those aspirations are part of the reason Ansley left Kentucky for a lesser position at Alabama, leaving one month after being promoted to co-defensive coordinator. He wanted to learn under Saban and defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt.

It's worked out well for both sides.

Under Ansley, Anthony Averett developed into a high-level starter at cornerback after not playing a single meaningful snap on defense during his first three years with the Tide. In addition, Minkah Fitzpatrick led the SEC with six interceptions while cornerback Marlon Humphrey further established himself as one of the top cornerbacks in the country and is now widely projected to go in the first round of this year's NFL draft.

Overall, Ansley's secondary helped Alabama rank 24th nationally in pass defense and first in scoring defense last season.

"Coach Ansley's definitely a hands-on coach," Humphrey said. "He's quick to be right there and follow up whatever coach Saban says or to give advice even before coach Saban gives it. He's definitely a good coach."

One of Ansley's most recent victories came during recruiting, helping the Tide land four-star wide receiver Henry Ruggs despite a late push from Florida State.

Ansley was 16th in 247Sports' 2017 recruiter rankings after serving as the primary recruiter for three four-star members of Alabama's most recent recruiting class -- Ruggs, four-star safety Xavier McKinney and four-star linebacker Markail Benton.

According to 247Sports, Ansley was also the secondary recruiter for four-star offensive tackle Jedrick Wills, four-star safety Daniel Wright and three-star cornerback Kyriq McDonald.

"Ansley is loved by recruits in the Southeast," Rivals recruiting analyst Woody Wommack tweeted in January.

Now comes spring practice, which started Tuesday for Alabama.

For Ansley, it's time to get back to "producing and directing."