Tyler Booker on Nick Saban's SEC title pick: 'Not gonna let some guy who plays golf all day determine how I feel'

Nick Saban has taken over the SEC once again, this time as a media member. Completely out of his coaching character, Saban is analyzing all 16 teams and even making predictions. This led to him choosing two teams to make this year’s SEC Championship game, picking Georgia and Texas.

People in the Alabama building have taken note of Saban not picking the Crimson Tide to wind up in Atlanta. Most notably offensive lineman Tyler Booker, who is using a lesson Saban taught him to respond to the coach picking against his former program.

“Coach Saban always taught me not to pay attention to external voices,” Booker said at the podium Wednesday at SEC Media Days. “He always used to say, ‘Don’t let some guy that lives in their mom’s basement determine how you feel.’ So I’m not gonna let some guy who plays golf all day determine how I feel. I’m not too worried about it because he’s an external factor now. He works at the stadium, not the facility.”

Saban has discussed some concerns he has about Alabama while in Dallas. Defensive back was going to be an issue, no matter who the head coach was. Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry left for the NFL and then once Saban retired, Caleb Downs entered the NCAA transfer portal.

The tackle positions were another area Saban felt the Crimson Tide would need to improve. On Wednesday, he acknowledged getting Kadyn Proctor back from Iowa was huge for protecting Jalen Milroe.

“I believe in our Alabama team, too – I believe in Jalen Milroe,” Saban said at SEC Media Days after picking Georgia and Texas. “I just think the question marks in the secondary, until those get resolved, it’s hard to sort of jump on that bandwagon.”

Either way, Booker is not going to allow Saban’s thoughts on the SEC Championship game participants distract him from preparing for the season. Not the juicy rat poison Alabama is used to being fed. The opposite, actually, as another doubt has been cast upon the Crimson Tide transitioning into the Kalen DeBoer era. It just happens to be coming from inside the house.

Seeing an old Saban-ism being used against him is quite funny though, and likely a part of what we will get from Saban as a member of the media. Being a former player — one who had a close relationship with Saban — adds to the hilarity as well.