Former Alabama linebacker Rueben Foster describes what he learned as a player under Nick Saban

The Alabama program has been cranking out top-notch NFL talent for a long time now, but what is it that makes guys who play under Nick Saban‘s watch so dominant?

Linebacker Rueben Foster joined The Number One College Football Show with host RJ Young from Fox Sports and attempted to answer that very question.

“To be honest it’s really the same structure that I’m doing now and that’s guys taking care of their bodies and implementing all the things that’s off the field that coach Saban installed,” Foster said. “That’s a lot from being a man to being a great guy with character with the psychiatrist that they provide us.”

It’s easy to look at the on-field coaching under Nick Saban and point to that as a major factor. Saban, after all, has had some amazing coaches come through the ranks over the years, from Lane Kiffin to Steve Sarkisian to Kirby Smart.

But Foster pointed to more intangible things.

“It’s just overall and living life and just being a hard worker and knowing that when you’re hurt, just because you’re hurt doesn’t mean you’ve got to sit down,” Foster said. “You’ve just got to keep working and pushing through and you’ll see different results.”

Foster has the credentials to back it up.

After playing four seasons for the Crimson Tide he became a first-round NFL Draft pick. His college production certainly helped.

In four years at Alabama Foster managed to rack up 223 tackles, 24.0 tackles for a loss, 7.0 sacks and nine passes defended.

He won a national championship with the Crimson Tide under Nick Saban in 2015, then was named a unanimous All-American and the Butkus Award winner as a senior in 2016. He also earned first-team All-SEC honors.

All of that, he said, was a product of following the Saban way.

“Just trust the process, like ‘Bama say,” he said. “Trust the process and everything that you trust within you’ll feel comfortable and you don’t have to stress on the next step in your life. That’s what I’d say coach Saban really (preached) and his whole staff, to be honest, because he did well with just that whole organization, just installing that in the guys.”

Foster spent two seasons in the NFL with San Francisco, racking up 101 tackles, 10.0 tackles for a loss and two passes defended. He played in and started in 16 games.

After an arrest for domestic violence, Foster was released by the 49ers. He was claimed off waivers by the Washington Commanders, but he did not appear in a game and suffered a torn ACL in 2019.

Foster is attempting to make a football comeback, signing with the Pittsburgh Maulers in the USFL in January.