Bryce Young and Will Anderson are forever grateful for their experience at the University of Alabama.
Both helped the Crimson Tide to a College Football Playoff National Championship as freshmen in 2020 and achieved several individuals during their time in college. Young became the first quarterback in school history to win the Heisman Memorial Trophy, while Anderson was a two-time Bronko Nagurski Award winner, two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, two-time Unanimous All-American, and a Heisman finalist. Both players were two-time team captains and have their hand print and cleat print cemented forever at Denny Chimes. In all of their accomplishments, both smiled the most about Nick Saban saying their names for the first time. They both talked about it during an interview with Stacking the Box for the National Football League.
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Anderson said his freshman year Coach Saban referred to him by his number.
“He just used to be like 31 this, 31 that,” he said about Saban. “I guess I had been doing so good in practice one day I walked past him, and he was like ‘Hey, Will, how are you doing?’ And it shocked me because, oh you know my name. Our relationship has been good ever since then.”
Young remembers Saban saying name for the first time after he earned his bachelor’s degree.
“I remember when my graduation was we were in a team meeting,” he said. “We were watching film and he’ll call out the good, bad, and ugly. Whenever he calls anyone out, he calls everyone out by their number. Unless, you know, you played well enough, then he will call you by your name. And it was the same thing. He was like ‘yeah and on this play, Bryce is dropping back and going left,’ and I was like … He was talking and we’re always in the same row, so he can’t really see me. I wass peripheral so I was like, I looked over, I was like, I tapped J Will (Jameson Williams) and, like Bryce. I definitey remember that day too.”
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The players enjoy it when they can catch Saban’s attention for positive things, and he remembers it.
Saban and Alabama fans are looking forward to watching Young and Anderson in the NFL.
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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.
