Nick Saban explains how Tony Mitchell, others regain standing after suspensions

Alabama freshman safety Tony Mitchell has had a tumultuous last few months. He was arrested in March on a marijuana possession with the intent to sell and/or deliver charge after driving over 140 miles per hour to avoid arrest and then promptly suspended by Nick Saban.

After a few months away from the team, he was reinstated in June after pleading no contest to the charge in May.

Saban was asked at SEC Media Days about how players like Mitchell can earn their way back into the trust of the coaches and the program in general after making a poor decision.

“I think there’s probably some occasion where most of us in this room, including myself, did something in our life that probably wasn’t a great choice and a great decision,” Saban said. “We always want to try to create a path for players who have made a mistake to get a second chance and but also to help educate them on what they can learn from the poor decision or judgment that they actually made. Hopefully, those things don’t affect other people. It’s much more serious when those things affect other people.

“Hopefully the penalties and the time missed and the education received are all going to be beneficial to the learning experience of this young man so that he has an opportunity to get an education, become a better person, that has a better chance to be successful in life and also can contribute to the team.”

Mitchell was a four-star safety recruit from high school powerhouse Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson and enrolled early with the Crimson Tide this winter.

Saban said that even though players can be given second chances, it is guaranteed they will use it the best of their abilities. Sometimes, players will lose the trust of their teammates due to their bad actions. Saban said that hasn’t happened with Mitchell.

“There’s a process that we try to go through when we can give players a second chance,” Saban said. “If players continue to make mistakes over and over and over and over and don’t seem to learn and make progress, they’ll lose the respect of their teammates. When that occurs, then maybe it would be better if a guy was not involved in the program and would take opportunity someplace else. But that hasn’t happened with Tony Mitchell.”