Alabama is still working to repair its reputation after a 31-17 loss to Florida State in Week 1. The loss featured defensive lapses, a flawed scheme against FSU’s offense and inconsistency along the offensive line, which delivered a big blow to the Crimson Tide’s legacy.However, there were standout individual performances, especially from wide receiver Germie Bernard. He is among the few players in a strong position to hold teammates accountable as Alabama prepares for its home opener against Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday.Bernard is committed to maintaining Alabama’s high standards."Toughness is really one of the big key factors in pride," Bernard said. "Having pride, lining up other guys next to you, this guy is trying to take something away from you. You've got to go out there and dominate them every single play.“Y'all gotta have that pride when y'all go out there and play. This dude is trying to stop you from feeding your family. You’re fixing to let this dude stop you from feeding your family? Nah. I can’t let that happen."After Week 1, the AP football rankings saw big changes, as the Crimson Tide fell out of the top 10 following their loss to Florida State. They dropped from No. 8 to No. 21, with some voters removing them from the top 25 entirely.Amid these challenges, Bernard is focusing on staying positive."We've just got to enjoy the process, enjoy the adversity that we're going through and continue to have our faith and lean into our faith," Bernard said on Tuesday (via SI). "I think that's the biggest thing. And then just showing up every day, continue to be ourselves and continue to push towards our goals that we have."Bernard joined Alabama in 2024 after previously playing for Michigan State and Washington.Germie Bernard earns praise from Alabama OC Ryan GrubbIn Alabama’s loss to Florida State on Saturday, Germie Bernard caught eight of his team-leading 14 targets for 146 yards.On Monday, Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb offered high praise for Bernard."If you’re watching the game, I mean, the guy’s running in and blocking their Aztec player that’s running down the middle of the field and smoking that dude," Grubb told postgame (via Tide1009). "Then he’s running down the sideline and catching a play-action pass."His desire and passion for the game, you just see how he plays, whether it’s a run block or a pass play. We just set that as the gold standard, and if it’s not what Germ’s doing, it’s not good enough. "In 2024, Bernard recorded 50 catches for 794 yards and two touchdowns, leading Alabama in receptions and ranking second in yardage behind Ryan Williams, who had 865 yards.