WATCH: Nick Saban delivers message to Bryce Young, Will Anderson after title game loss
Alabama came up short on Monday in the National Championship. Georgia walked away with the title after winning 33-18 inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. After the loss, Alabama head coach Nick Saban went out of his way to make sure that he could share a special moment with quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Will Anderson.
As Young and Anderson were dismissed from their postgame media availability and getting up to head back to the locker room, Saban, seated between the two, stopped them from getting up. Saban then asked for a moment so that he could share a passionate message towards his two star players.
“These two guys sitting up here, they’re not defined by one game,” Saban said. “They played great for us all year, they were great competitors, great leaders on this team and they contributed tremendously to the success of this team. And we would not be here without them.”
Saban went on to say that while Alabama came up short of its ultimate goal, Young and Anderson had great seasons that should not go unnoticed just because a championship wasn’t won.
“And both of them take responsibility for the loss, but both of them contributed in a lot of ways, in a positive way, to giving us a chance to win and a chance to be here to have an opportunity to win,” Saban added.
“So, I just want to thank them for that and let everybody know how proud I am of these two guys.”
Saban knows the impact Young, Anderson had on Alabama this season
Alabama finishes the season at 13-2 with a SEC Championship. The Crimson Tide entered the College Football Playoff as the top overall seed. Saban knows that Alabama’s success this season wouldn’t have been possible without the contributions of Young and Anderson.
Young won the Heisman Trophy this year after throwing for 4,872 yards, 47 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also added three rushing touchdowns. Anderson put up mind-boggling numbers, totaling 98 tackles, 34.5 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks and two passes defended. Many saw Anderson as a snub for the Heisman Trophy. He was not one of the four finalists for the prestigious award.
Moving forward, Saban knows that Alabama is in a good spot with Young and Anderson both returning. In ESPN’s way too early Top 25 rankings for 2022, Alabama is ranked in the top spot, largely due to the presence of Young and Anderson on the roster.