Nick Saban has the kind of relationship with his former players where they love being around him.
He coached several All-Americans, four Heisman Memorial Trophy winners, 47 first-round NFL Draft picks, and over 100 athletes in the National Football League. Two legends for the Crimson Tide joined Saban on Tuesday for his Nick’s Kids golf tournament. Mark Ingram, Alabama’s first Heisman winner, and Tua Tagovailoa accompanied their former coach on the course.
Nick Kelly of Tuscaloosa News captured a photo of Ingram and Tagovailoa.
Tua and Mark Ingram here for Nick’s Kids golf tournament pic.twitter.com/1EFzLO60uI
— Nick Kelly (@_NickKelly) May 21, 2024
Ingram played running back for the University of Alabama from 2008 to 2010. He helped the Tide capture its first Southeastern Conference Championship and BCS National Championship in 2009 of the Saban era. Ingram totaled 1,658 yards rushing, 334 yards receiving, and 20 total touchdowns in ’09. He earned Unanimous All-American honors, first-team All-SEC honors, and SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2009. Ingram was selected at No. 28 overall of the 2011 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints.
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He played 12 seasons in the National Football League with the Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, and Saints again.
Tagovailoa was a quarterback for Alabama from 2017 to 2019.
The native Hawaiian came off the bench as a true freshman in the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship Game and rescued the team to a national title over Georgia. He became one of the best passers in college football history, displaying an accurate arm and playmaking abilities. Tagovailoa became a Heisman finalist in 2018, following a season of 3,966 passing yards and 48 total touchdowns. He carried the team to an SEC Championship and a berth in the CFP National Championship Game.
Tagovailoa was selected by the Miami Dolphins at No. 5 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
He led the league in passing yards (4,624) last year and totaled 29 touchdowns.
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Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
