Nick Saban spoke in January at a clinic for the Alabama Football Coaches Association.
He shared powerful wisdom about leadership, discussed the Henry Ruggs situation, and had a dialogue about how NIL and the NCAA transfer have affected high school recruiting. Saban also opened up about how the Crimson Tide fell short in the College Football Playoff title game.
He did not state names, but Saban said Alabama had three receivers that did not take advantage of opportunities. They did not buy into Saban’s process and were not ready for the moment against Georgia.
RELATED: Nick Saban rips three Alabama players who didn’t take practice serious, came up short in national championship
“This is a story that you should take back to your team, so players understand it,” Saban said. “So, they are frustrated with their circumstance because they are not playing as much as they want to. They are outcome-oriented. They want to worry about how many balls they catch, how much playing time they get, or whatever. So, they do not focus every day on being a complete player at their position, and they do not work at practice and prepare for the game because they say to themselves, why should I do this? I am not going to play anyway. We had three guys. They all had significant roles in the National Championship game, and not one of them, not one could take advantage of the opportunity that they had because they never grind through it.”
Once his statement reached social media, Tide fans wanted to know which three players Saban spoke on.
Some have taken several guesses, but sources have confirmed with Touchdown Alabama Magazine on the names.
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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 @CoachingMSmith.
