Nick Saban addresses Alabama crowd ahead of A-Day: 'I'm one of you'
Nick Saban is in a new position in Tuscaloosa, attending A-Day on Saturday afternoon as a fan, instead of the leader of the Crimson Tide.
Of course, Saban retired earlier this offseason, in case you were hiding under a rock. Kalen DeBoer is the new leader of Alabama, and he’s hoping to cultivate a continued winning culture in the same vein of Saban’s squads.
Ahead of A-Day on Saturday, Saban took the microphone in front of the crowd, delivering a passionate speech where he recognizes the change in his position, as he’s simply a fan now, instead of the coach of the team.
“Thank you so much. This is the first time I’ve got to address the group, not as the coach, I’m one of you. I’m one of the fans now,” Saban told the crowd, ahead of a big ovation, via a video shared to X by Michael Casagrande of AL.com. “This is a great tradition that we have. Captains of the team have a legacy, that withstands the test of time, relative to anybody coming back here. Their children coming back here somebody, to be able to see what they accomplished.”
Continuing, Saban waxed poetic about the accomplishments of last season’s Alabama team, which we now know is the final version of the Crimson Tide he coached.
“This last year’s team is probably one of the teams that I’m most proud of, for the progress that they made,” Saban stated. “The who ‘LANK’ idea, of not starting out very well, and everybody working so hard to improve. These three guys had as big an impact on that of anybody, with their leadership. The example that they set. They were a person that somebody on the team could emulate. Their work ethic, their perseverance. How they cared for the other players on the team, and made us a team. These guys are responsible for that.
“I can’t thank them enough for their hard work, and all that they did to make the team what it was. You could be proud of the SEC Championship, the Playoff that they were able to establish for themselves. I’m very, very proud of that team, and I’m proud of these guys for all that they did.”
Additionally, Saban made sure to thank the group he’s now playing a role in, the fans. Without them, he doesn’t believe he would’ve been able to accomplish what the Crimson Tide did over the course of his tenure.
“I’d also like to thank you, the fans, for 17 years of your support, which made the program what it is,” Saban stated. “When we stepped on this campus 17 years ago, and there were 95,000 people at the A-Day game, that set the tone for what Alabama was going to become, what this program was going to become, and it was all because of you being a part of the team, and the support that you gave us. I know the players appreciate that more than you know.
“So thank you very much for all of your support. Thank these guys, thank you for being here today to honor these guys, because they certainly deserve it, because they did a fantastic job as leaders for our team last season. Thank you very much, and Roll Tide.”
Nick Saban will always have a place in Tuscaloosa, whether as a coach or a fan. Now being the latter, he’s the most popular among that bunch, that’s for sure.