Nick Saban opens up on the impact of Roydell Williams

Nick Saban has the Alabama Crimson Tide playing some of their best football of the 2023 season at the perfect time. They currently sit at 9-1 overall and have themselves in contention for a spot in the upcoming College Football Playoff.

Alabama has had a number of different players contribute to their impressive run this season and on Wednesday evening in his press conference, head coach Nick Saban shared his thoughts on the impact of running back Roydell Williams.

“Oh you know, Roydell’s a great team guy. I mean, really good special teams’ player. Great character. I think he loves Alabama. Loves his teammates. He’s a really good teammate,” Saban began.

“Been very productive every opportunity that he’s gotten. Whether it’s to play running back or do something on special teams being kickoff returner. He’s always the first one to step up. He’s always got a smile on his face. And I think he’s a great example for guys that sort of persevere, in their career and overcome obstacles. And become very successful because of that. Because I think that’s probably one of the ingredients you need to have to be successful.”

This season, Williams has rushed 79 times for 415 yards, while scoring two touchdowns on the ground. As a receiver, he’s hauled in 10 catches for 49 yards and a touchdown. For his entire career with the Tide thus far, he’s racked up over 1,000 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.

Nick Saban explains his trust in Malachi Moore

Since his arrival on campus in 2020, Malachi Moore has been a staple of the Alabama defense. He became a starter as a freshman and, now in his senior year, continues to make an impact for the Crimson Tide.

Moore earned Nick Saban’s trust during his first season with Alabama as he helped the Crimson Tide win a national championship. He’s also moved around over the course of his career, which showcased his versatility.

Whatever Saban needed Moore to do, he did it well. That’s what has made Moore a reliable piece for the Tide over the years.

“Malachi’s always been a guy that we have a lot of confidence in, we always had a lot of trust,” Saban said of Moore. “He’s a smart player, played multiple positions. Every time that he’s had to play, he’s played extremely well. Last year, he played mostly in dime when we played dime. This year, he’s playing all the time, safety and star.

“I’ve never, ever considered Malachi in his entire career since he’s been here as a freshman as not being a starter — and a very good one that we could trust and rely on to go out and do a really good job for us, and he’s never disappointed us.”

Moore is in the midst of his biggest season since his freshman year, totaling 39 tackles and 4.0 tackles for loss through nine games. He also has an interception and four passes defended. All told, for his career, Moore has 130 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and five picks.

On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this article.