Nick Saban reflects on Julio Jones as a recruit and Alabama standout

Prior to Nick Saban winning six national championships at Alabama, a chance was taken by Julio Jones that kick started it all. When the star wide receiver committed to play in Tuscaloosa in 2008, the Crimson Tide were coming off of a 7-6 season in Saban’s first year as head coach.

Then, the No. 1 wide receiver recruit in the country chose Saban and Alabama, and a tremendous recruiting class helped a dynasty begin. Ahead of Jones debuting with the Tennessee Titans this weekend, Saban remembered how important the star wide receiver is to the program.

“Julio was a part of the first full recruiting class that we had. He was one of the highly-talented guys at his position, probably one of the best players in the country at his position,” Saban said. “Being from Alabama, it was probably one of the most important things that ever happened in the program. 

“When Julio, Mark Barron and all these guys that came in that first class, Hightower, there’s a bunch of them, 6 or 7 first round draft picks I think. They all came here when we weren’t any good. We we’re just coming off of a 6-6 season or something like that. They came here and they believed, they trusted in what we were trying to do to create a program. And they came here to prove something.”

While it may be difficult to think of a time where players were hesitant to play for Alabama, Saban couldn’t always use his handful of championship rings to convince recruits. Jones helped take the Crimson Tide to the next level, and Saban is forever thankful for that.

Leading the charge

While Jones was one of the most talented players in the country, he came to Alabama and wanted to set the standard. Moreover, Saban speaks about the unique leadership abilities that helped propel Jones and the Crimson Tide.

“There’s nobody that we had that was a better leader, or did more to sort of enhance the culture of toughness, giving effort, finishing plays, being a great competitor — than Julio Jones did,” said Saban. “I mean he used to run down on kickoff and wouldn’t come off kickoff team during the game, and he’s one of the best receivers in the country. 

“From a culture standpoint, from an impact standpoint — in the early years there was a lot of guys who made a great impact, but Julio was one who probably led the way as much as anyone.”

Saban’s seen a lot of talented players go through Alabama, but Jones helped catapult the program into a new stratosphere. By helping the Crimson Tide elevate, he cemented his place as a true program changer.