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Bryce Young explains why Nick Saban is exempt from cold tub toss, what his birthday means for players

Alex Weberby:Alex Weber•11/01/22
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Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Nick Saban is celebrating another ride around the sun as he turned 71 this week. Now, normally, a birthday means an involuntary trip to the cold tub in the Alabama locker room. But ole Coach Nick is exempted from those sort of festive challenges, according to quarterback Bryce Young.

These type of ice tub tosses are for player like Young, not coaches like Saban. As you can see from Young’s most recent birthday.

At a press conference this week, Young revealed that Saban was vehemently against going into that tub. He can’t get too upset, though. When you command the respect that Nick Saban does in a college football locker room, you can have have your (birthday) cake and eat it, too.

“I mean, that’s the goat. If he doesn’t want to go in the cold tub, it’s not happening. So it’s whatever. Yeah, that he’s definitely exempt from. But that’s also not really my call. I was never the head of the of the cold tub committee. That’s more Jordan Battle’s thing.

Young also used the funny anecdote to reflect on why Saban gets that sort of respect from his players. He said he owes a lot of his success on the field and off the field to what Coach Saban has taught him. And that goes for the rest of the team, too.

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“Yeah, I mean, coach is really probably the biggest reason why we’re all here on the team, you know. Just that level of excellence. I sustained a level that he’s had throughout the years, you know, me being a part of it. Now, this has been my third year. So just to be able to see what that level of greatness looks like up close and personal, the level that he holds himself to first and foremost.

“And then to all of us, you know, it really has pushed me to be a better person and a better player in the same way as everyone else. So I think we’re all just grateful for that. You know, it being his birthday is kind of a cool little opportunity to reflect, but I have all the respect in the world for for a coach. We all do. He’s the greatest to do it, so I’m just happy to be be here and be able to learn from each and every day.”