Former Alabama football coach Nick Saban, now an ESPN analyst, recently made headlines with his prediction for the SEC championship game. Saban, who retired earlier this year, picked Georgia and Texas to meet in the championship, a choice that has caught the attention of his former players.
Despite what some might see as a snub, Alabama‘s current roster is taking the comments in stride. Offensive lineman Tyler Booker humorously referenced Saban’s own teachings at SEC media days. “Something he taught me was not to pay attention to external factors, and since he works at the stadium now and not the facility, he’s an external factor,” Booker said, according to ESPN. “So I’m not going to pay him no mind. He said, ‘Don’t listen to a guy who sits in his mother’s basement and tweets all day, so I’m not going to listen to a guy who plays golf all day.”
Quarterback Jalen Milroe also addressed Saban‘s remarks, expressing no hard feelings towards his former coach. “It’s so quick to see Coach Saban take on another role other than being Coach Saban,” Milroe said. “But he has a job to do, and he’s entitled to his own opinion. But yeah, we heard him.”
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe is backing his former coach
Saban‘s coaching legacy is marked by seven national championships, six of which he won with Alabama. His departure has led to the appointment of Kalen DeBoer, who previously led Washington to the national championship game last season, where they faced a 34-13 defeat against Michigan.
The Alabama team appears focused and unbothered by Saban’s predictions, sticking to the lessons he imparted during his legendary tenure.