Nick Saban Alabama Athletics Anymore
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Southeastern Conference Football Media Days Wednesday July 12, 2017 Nick Saban Alabama athletics anymore. It's the one thing all athletes have in COMMISSIONER SANKEY: Good morning. Welcome common regardless of their sport. And we are very to Wednesday at Southeastern Conference Football proud that we've been able to help people develop Media Days. Our first coach this morning is Nick careers off the field so they have a better chance to be Saban, the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. successful in life and also very pleased with how we've been able to help develop football players and help COACH SABAN: How's everybody today? Great to guys develop careers on the field and have success on see you all again. I hope everybody's had a fantastic the field and try to do it the right way so that it gives summer. I'm kind of proud of the fact that this is my them the best opportunity to be the best version, you 16th SEC Media Day, the 11th at Alabama, which I'm know, of themselves. So we're very, very proud of that. sure that there's nobody in this room thought that that would ever happen when it started out But currently we're excited from a football standpoint because the challenges the season presents, starting 11 years ago. with our opening game, will be a very challenging game, as well as the challenges that the SEC and the But it's been an outstanding experience. I think this is teams that we play in our league and our division probably the best league from a competitive venue always present to us. standpoint. And I've been a lot of places and coached in a lot of different leagues, including the NFL, but the And we're pleased with the team's progression through SEC is one of the best competitive venues in terms of this summer. They are currently working very hard, all of the good programs that we have, all of the work out, do a great job of individually staying challenges that it presents, and the way our organized and how they can develop, whether it's in 7- administrators run our league to create tremendous on-7 and the type of drills that coaches aren't allowed competitive balance on the field, but also do things that to be involved with that I think has really helped the help our players and young people and student- development of our young players, which I think this is athletes have the best chance to be successful off the going to be one of the youngest teams that we've had field. probably since maybe 2012, especially on defense, where we lost a ton of really, really good players, I think That's probably one of the things that I'm most proud of seven guys drafted off the defense, all in the first four as a coach is our program at Alabama and how we've rounds. So it's going to be a challenge to replace helped people be more successful in life for having those guys. been involved in the program, whether it's personal development and personal development programs, We're going to be very young on that side of the ball, mental conditioning for success, peer intervention for but it's also something that we're excited about as behavioral issues, leadership, communication, how you coaches to try to help those guys develop to play the brand yourself, or having an academic program that kind of football that will allow them to be individually has actually been one of the most successful academic and collectively successful defensively. support programs in terms of graduation rate, APR, usually nationally ranked in the tops in the country, the You know, offensively, this is the first time that we've fact that we've had had a returning starter at quarterback since 2013, which creates the opportunity for that guy to develop in 101 players with degrees play in Bowl and playoff the things that he needs to do better, which Jalen has games in the last four years, which is each year more done a good job in the offseason of becoming a better than anybody in the country, but, overall, in the four passer, understanding the passing game better, and years, way more than anybody in the country. we have some good running backs, and we have some good receivers and skill guys, and the offensive line So we've been able to help people develop careers off has developed nicely. the field, which is very important to long-term success. Everybody comes to a day when they can't play So it's going to be a challenge for us offensively to be Rev #1 by #206 at 2017-07-12 15:06:00 GMT page 1 of 6 able to have the kind of team that we need to have to We'll have some young players compete for long snap help our defense, especially early on. But I think it's and field-goal kicker. And I think special teams is important that our team develop an identity, which is something that we really try to promote with every always a challenge from a coaching standpoint, that all young player. And if you have good team speed, you the players buy into, take ownership for, and are usually have pretty good special teams. accountable to, doing the things that we need to do to establish the identity that we want to establish of being So, we're excited about the three players that are here a team that's difficult to play against because of our today. Bradley Bozeman, Calvin Ridley and Minkah ability to execute, play with mental and physical Fitzpatrick, all guys that have done a fantastic job of toughness, be able to finish, which we weren't able to representing the University of Alabama and our football do last year in the championship game. program on and off the field. So those guys are all guys, players, that we are really, really proud of as So these intangible things of everybody buying in, people, as students, and as football players. everybody taking ownership for everything in the house, that's how you conduct yourself off the field, in So, questions? the classroom, on the field. That's one of the reasons that I think we've been able to be successful is the Q. Nick, you came so close to winning the National culture of accountability that we create for our players. Championship last year. Do you self-assess any differently when you come that close and you lose We define the expectation for them personally, as opposed to when you win it and do you do it academically, and athletically, surround them with the more intensely, and do you think maybe I should kind of people that can guide them and provide tweak that? How do you do that? leadership to help them be successful in all of those COACH SABAN: Well, we really try to do it the same areas, but they have to eventually be responsible for way because whether you win or lose, we're always their own self-determination, which is what being a trying to self-assess to see what we need to do to get professional anything is. Somebody defines what you better. I think when you lose, everybody's much more are supposed to do; you got to go out and do a good -- the mindset is much more I'm willing to change. I job to do it. And that's what try to do in our program, want to learn. I don't want to waste a failure. What which helps our players be very, very successful. could we have done better? Because everybody's hurt by the fact that they lost, especially the way we lost that From a coaching standpoint, we have three new particular game on the last play of the game, but it coaches on offense. Brian Daboll has done a really, wasn't the last play. It's what led up to the last play. really good job as offensive coordinator. The players And I think our players realize that. have really responded to him well. He's got a great personality. I think he's exactly what we're looking for It takes a tremendous amount of accountability to be in terms of helping us redevelop a pro-style passing able to execute and sustain the execution for 60 attack that would go with the athleticism with some of minutes in the game. And we played against a really, the spread offense that we've used with Jalen and our really good team, which I think when you get in the other quarterbacks, which helped us tremendously, I playoffs, that should be what you expect. And we think. weren't able to finish the game like we needed to. And I think there's a lot of lessons to learn, and hopefully Mike Locksley, who is assistant co-offensive we won't waste a failure. coordinator and receiver coach, who has great experience, has also been a real benefit to us. And Q. Good morning, Coach. Coach, how is the Joe Pannunzio coming back to coach special teams recovery of Bo Scarbrough and Shaun Dion and tight ends after being with the Eagles for a couple Hamilton? And how is Najee Harris? Will he fit years.