Sometimes, it takes a former player to remind one of what greatness looks like to turn something around.
Bo Scarbrough won two College Football Playoff National Championships (2015 and 2017) at the University of Alabama under head coach Nick Saban. He was one of the most physical running backs of the Saban era, and he understood the culture of relentless toughness. Scarbrough has been very vocal about his disappointment with this year’s Alabama team. He spoke to the players on Thursday, and Saban talked about the impact Scarbrough’s words had on him and the team during his radio show.
RELATED: Alabama LB Will Anderson a finalist for Rotary Lombardi Award
“Bo Scarbrough was here today and he put his finger on the table and said, ‘When we played here, we were making sure that the other team, when the game was over, would say we never wanna play them again.’ … That’s the kind of culture that we want to recreate,” Saban said.
The words from the Tuscaloosa native have Saban wanting to fix things with the program.
Scarbrough played before the NIL era, and his teammates played for each other and the scripted “A” on their jerseys. During that time, the Crimson Tide prided itself on excellence, dominating the opponent, performing little tasks well, and winning national championships. Saban said it hurts his heart when former players tell him that this team is not performing to the standard.
“That really breaks my heart because I’m responsible for that,” Saban said.
Scarbrough is one of the best of the Saban era. Hopefully, his words will spark Saban to action.
Click here to follow the Bama Elite Podcast
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber-only content!*
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.
