JaMarcus Russell opens up about relationship, respect for 'militant' Nick Saban

JaMarcus Russell’s time with Nick Saban might have been brief, but the former LSU quarterback still saw enough in his time to respect the greatness. Russell spent two seasons in Baton Rouge with Saban, as the quarterback redshirted in 2003 and saw limited action the following year in 2004, Saban’s last with the Tigers.

Although JaMarcus Russell rarely got on the field for Nick Saban, the preparation and thought that the coach put into each one of his practices made it clear he was a brilliant football mind. The quarterback opened up on his relationship with the now-Alabama coach in a recent appearance on the Pivot Podcast.

“Nick was very militant,” Russell said. “He’s strategic. He’s gonna get in your ass, I can say that. He knows what you can do and that you can do it. So when you don’t show up, that’s when it turns out bad.”

Saban left to become an NFL head coach with the Miami Dolphins in 2005. His time at the pro level would be short-lived as he went 15-17 over just two seasons before returning to the college ranks in 2007 to take the job in Tuscaloosa.

One of the podcasts co-hosts — Channing Crowder — was a rookie on Saban’s team in 2005 and also a member of the 2006 team. Crowder reveals that the coach’s personality rubbed some players the wrong way, as the dynamic is much different than a college campus. The former linebacker then asked Russell why he believes Saban was unable to make it as an NFL coach.

“He feels like if he can control the situation, he wins,” Russell said. “It became, ‘Ain’t no need to deal with it. It’s out of my control.’ Why would I wanna deal with something that’s out of my control? If I know everything it takes for us to win for a summer workout. If I can get it down to a science like this but I can’t control it, why do I need to do it?”

Russell went on to become the starter the season after Saban left LSU, leading the Tigers to a 22-4 record over the next two years. After leading the team to a Sugar Bowl win in 2006, he was taken No. 1 overall by the Oakland Raiders in the 2007 NFL Draft. Russell was expected to lead the franchise into their next era of success, but instead was famously out of the league by the end of the 2009 season.

Still, Russell used the game of football to set himself up for life. He may not have had the career he strived for on the field, but nobody can ever takeaway the fact that he was a No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, and all of the other accolades he accumulated in college.