All the barking he does on Saturdays in the fall or every day in practice is for a reason.
Whether it is getting players to play winning football or giving an assistant coach an a – chewing, these situations are recorded in the bible of Alabama head coach Nick Saban as teachable moments.
He’s a teacher at heart, and while his salary is far more glamorous ($11.1 million) than one working a 9-5 shift, he is very grateful to the ones that developed him. During Wednesday’s presser at the Mal Moore facility, Saban said the University of Alabama is teaming up with the College Football Playoff in the Extra Yard program for educators.
“I don’t know how you feel about teachers, but I have a tremendous amount of respect for them,” he said. “What they do to help people develop and grow, I know I can tell you my first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade, I could tell you every teacher I’ve ever had when I was a kid growing up because they all had a significant impact on my development as a person.”
His father, Nick Saban Sr., schooled him in the art of being a man but Don James and Bill Belichick were both influential in helping the fiery, 65-year-old mold his own process. Since we are talking in terms of school, Saban takes much into the account of how important it is to see teachers excel – especially when it comes down to the guys he recruits.
“I certainly appreciate the time they invested in me to help me graduate college and do what I love to do now,” he said.
As the educator of Crimson Tide football pays respect to others, he is also looking forward to this weekend’s matchup versus Colorado State at home. Saban wants the fans to be a factor.
“They [Colorado State] are going to want to fast and run no huddle, so some noise could disrupt them,” he said. “I’d like to see our fans get into the game and help our team out a bit.”
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
