Justin Thomas shares emotional reaction to Nick Saban's retirement

The tributes to former Alabama head football coach Nick Saban continue to pour in from seemingly every notable figure in the Crimson Tide athletics circle — including pro golfer and U of A alum Justin Thomas.

The two-time PGA Championship winner posted a long and thoughtful message on Instagram noting Saban’s impact on the school and detailing their relationship to one another. You can read the message right here in full, or scroll further down to see the actual post, which included several pictures of Thomas and Saban together, mostly on the golf course.

Here was Thomas’ message:

“From meeting coach on my official visit to Alabama and how gracious he was (still is) to my entire family, spending time with him at Alabama Golf facility in the spring, listening to his pregame speeches in the locker rooms, to then be so fortunate to be a soundboard for somebody I can talk to… I just can’t even begin to thank him enough.

“The impact Coach Saban had on so many individuals at the University of Alabama is astonishing. How much he truly cared for every one of his players, and to push them to get the best out of them every single day, is something that can’t be taught. I always have admired his work ethic and (selfishly) his post game interviews and press conferences 😂

“Thank you Coach, for everything you have done for Alabama. You will be missed. I’ll miss seeing you on the sidelines, but not as much as I’m going to enjoy kicking your ass on the golf course in the near future #GOAT#RMFT.”

And the entire post itself:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Justin Thomas (@justinthomas34)

Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, Justin Thomas was a prodigy on the course from the moment he stepped foot in Tuscaloosa. He arrived like many of the Alabama football players, rated a top recruit in the country after an electric high school career at Saint Xavier, where he’s since helped fund the construction of a state-of-the-art golf facility featuring an Indoor Golf Simulator.

His time at Alabama was brief but wildly successful, as Thomas cleaned up nearly every possible award at the collegiate level as a freshman before joining the pro tour after just one year. His profile on the Alabama athletics page notes that Thomas “arrived as one of the consensus top-five recruits in the nation and played even better for Alabama as a true freshman.”

Per that page, here were some of his accomplishments:

• Haskins Award for National Player of the Year
• Nicklaus Award for National Player of the Year
• Phil Mickelson Award for National Freshman of the Year
• SEC Player of the Year
• Won SEC Championship
• Named to the 2012 World Amateur Team