Former Alabama players come to Nick Saban’s defense after he gets slammed for comments on NIL

Sep 16, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide punter head coach Nick Saban leads warms ups before a game against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Saban has been under fire for the recent comments he has made about name, image, and likeness while speaking to lawmakers at the White House.

Saban discussed the issues facing collegiate athletics while speaking in Washington.

“How much does anybody talk about getting an education anymore?” Saban asked. “Nobody talks about it at all, which is the most important thing any of these student athletes can do in terms of enhancing their future.”

The former Alabama head coach has faced a lot of backlash for his statement, with some feeling he is not the right person to speak on the subject. This prompted some of Saban’s former players to come to his defense.

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was one of those players.

“Amazing how people keep misreading coach Saban,” Clinton-Dix posted. “He never said players shouldn’t get paid — he actually supports it. His point was that college football needs structure: revenue sharing, real NIL deals, and clear rules. Right now it’s chaos with collectives, nonstop transfers, and eligibility loopholes. Coach Saban won 7 national titles and is happily retired. He’s speaking up to help the game, not hurt it. He knows the importance of education for players and their future. When the smoke clears, Football and NFL are dreams. Education and degrees is reality.”

Former NFL cornerback, Su’a Cravens called Saban a hypocrite for his remarks. Former Alabama outside linebacker, Christian Miller went on to comment on Cravens’ take while taking up for Saban,

The hypocrisy coming from Coach Saban is so damn ridiculous it’s sad to see him try to push this agenda smh … Yal don’t care about these kids in the slightest, yal only care about that money and who gets to benefit from it. Plain as day what’s happening here 👎🏽 https://t.co/ypa88Rwj0t

— Su’a Kristopher Cravens (@SuaKCravens) March 8, 2026

“Brother speak to anybody that played for him, including myself, and you will get the same answer,” Miller responded. “He genuinely cares about his guys. That said, he isn’t saying they shouldn’t get paid, just it should be structured through revenue sharing and authentic NIL to maintain parity by creating a true cap… not phony NIL deals that are limitless. If Oregon can afford a 40 million dollar roster but your alma mater only is working with 20 million, how does that work out for y’all? That’s the whole purpose of creating true structure. It’s not to take away from players, but more so to create enforceable guidelines. There is a reason that majority of professional sports leagues operate under a salary cap. Take the emotions out of it and listen to what is actually being said or research it and you will see that it makes the most sense.”

College football continues to look for answers in the transfer portal and NIL era.