It is hard to gift someone the perfect birthday present when they have everything.
Nick Saban, Alabama’s head football coach, drives Mercedes-Benz’s and Ferrari’s.
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He has been to Italy, he’s a seven-time college football national champion, an eight-time Southeastern Conference Champion at Alabama, and he’s done so many things to prepare his players to be successful men. Saban will have a lifetime supply of Little Debbie cakes and Aflac commercials, but what does he want the most as he turns 72 on Tuesday? He revealed the lone present he wants during Monday’s press conference. Saban was the head coach of Louisiana State University for five seasons (2000-04) before coming to the Crimson Tide and restoring it to national prominence. All he wants is another victory over his old school.
“The game is the most important thing,” Saban said about how he plans to celebrate his birthday. “It would be an outstanding birthday present if we could play well in this game. So that is what I am focused on, and that is what we are trying to do. When your birthday and holidays come up in football season, they are not holidays, and they are not birthdays. You get older, but you don’t celebrate much.”
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Saban may not celebrate, but his players could have something planned for him. Jalen Milroe, Alabama’s starting quarterback, paid his head coach the biggest compliment in his interview. The sophomore said Saban ‘does everything young.’
“I think the biggest gift he wants is a win this week,” Milroe said about Saban in laughter. “We all know that in the locker room, but we will tell him happy birthday. He’s getting old, but he still acts young. That’s the funny part … He is a lot of fun.”
Alabama and LSU have faced each other 16 times since 2007 during the week of Saban’s birthday. He is 12-4 in these matchups; however, Alabama suffered a 31-32 overtime loss in 2022 at Tiger Stadium. Saban and the Tide look for redemption this time.
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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.
