Nick Saban dishes on what makes Dont'a Hightower special among notable Alabama alums

As part of his appearance on the Pat McAfee Show this week, Alabama head coach Nick Saban took some time to reminisce on some of his older players, including Dont’a Hightower.

His name was brought up by Kyle Van Noy, who was also on the show and had played linebacker alongside Hightower for the Patriots back in the day. Van Noy claimed Hightower was nicknamed “Mr. February” for his terrific performances in two of New England’s Super Bowl victories and asked if he was a clutch player even back at ‘Bama.

While Saban didn’t have much to comment on the nickname, he did remember Hightower and that era of Alabama football fondly, since the players who were on those same teams as Hightower really helped build the Crimson Tide culture under Saban.

“You know, Dont’a is one of my favorites. He was an outstanding player here,” said Saban. “But, you know, I have a special affinity for Dont’a and all the guys — Julio Jones and Mark Barron and all those guys. They all came to Alabama when we weren’t any good, and they really created the legacy and the standard of what we want to try to accomplish in the program.”

All of those guys first played in Saban’s second season at Alabama in 2008 and helped the Tide leap from 7-6 in ’07 to a 12-2 record and Sugar Bowl appearance. Then, in ’09, they returned to lead a flawless 14-0 season which ended with Nick Saban’s first national championship at Alabama.

Jones, of course, was a standout wide receiver in college and went on to have one of the best NFL careers of any player at his position in the 2010s after being picked No. 6 by Atlanta in the 2011 draft. Meanwhile, Barron was also a high pick at No. 7 in 2012. Hightower was selected a bit later at 25th in that first round.

Back in his ‘Bama days, Dont’a Hightower certainly wasn’t known as “Mr. February.” But Saban doesn’t have a bad word to say about his former defensive star and was excited when the program honored him during one of the first games of the year.

“Even though I don’t have any nickname for him, he’s an outstanding player, a fine young man,” added Saban. “He was actually an honorary captain a couple weeks ago for one of our games. It’s always great to see those guys come back — Marcell Dareus was with him.”

Without Hightower, Darius and several others, perhaps Saban’s dynasty at Alabama would not have been so strong.

“So those guys, they sort of set the tone for who were are and what we are, and just the standard that we have around here.”