Alabama greats surprise Nick Saban on ESPN College GameDay ahead of debut of Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium

Alabama is honoring legendary head coach Nick Saban during Saturday’s game against USF. Alabama will formally dedicate Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium with pregame and halftime ceremonies.

Ahead of the field being named after Saban, he got a surprise on ESPN College GameDay Saturday morning.

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Several Alabama greats appeared in a video to congratulate Nick Saban on the field being named after him.

“It is a great moment and a great honor, but really, I hope this is reflective of the legacy of all the players that played, all the coaches that coached, the fans, the supporters that we had to make a very unique, successful program for a long time,” Nick Saban said, before the surprise video.

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You can check it out below:

“You’re the goat. … Not only did you make me a better player, you made me a better person as well.”

Derrick Henry and former Alabama players thank Coach Saban and congratulate him on the debut of Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium ❤️ pic.twitter.com/TRVsKGR3UV

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 7, 2024

Former Alabama players Derrick Henry, Mark Ingram, Dont’a Hightower and Barrett Jones each had a message for Nick Saban.

“Coach Saban, I wanted to say congratulations on Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium,” Derrick Henry said. “It was greatly deserved. You’re the GOAT. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me while I attended the University of Alabama.

“Not only did you make me a better player, but you made me a better person, as well. I just wanted to say God bless you and I wish you the best on your next endeavors.”

Saban was clearly appreciative of all the video messages and gave credit back to everyone around him.

“Great, man. A lot of great players. A lot of great people. And I’m proud of the fact that we have 61 players on NFL rosters this year and our players signed for $1.1 billion this last year in contracts. So that’s what it’s all about,” Nick Saban said.

“When you’re a coach you’re trying to help people be more successful in life, and that’s the one thing I’m proud of in terms of how many guys we had graduate … as well as the kind of people they turned out to be and all the guys who had great careers. So we appreciate it.”