Nick Saban comments on Tony Mitchell, how players can regain trust

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Alabama freshman defensive back Tony Mitchell was arrested in March for marijuana possession, and he has since been placed on probation for three years. Mitchell publicly apologized in June and his father said he had been reinstated following a suspension from the Crimson Tide team. On Wednesday, Nick Saban commented on Mitchell.

He was asked about the freshman and what players can do to regain the coaching staff’s trust.

“I think there’s probably some occasion where most of us in this room, including myself, did something in our life that probably wasn’t a great choice and a great decision,” Saban said. “And we always want to try to create a path for players who have made a mistake to get a second chance, but also to help educate them on what they can learn from the poor decision or judgment that they actually made. And hopefully, those things don’t affect other people. I think it’s much more serious when those things affect other people.

“And so hopefully the penalties and the time missed and the education received are all going to be beneficial to the learning experience of this young man so that he has an opportunity to get an education, become a better person that has a better chance to be successful in life and also can contribute to the team.

“So there’s a process that we try to go through when we can give players a second chance. If players continue to make mistakes over and over and over and over and don’t seem to learn and make progress, they will lose the respect of their teammates. And I think that when that occurs, then maybe it would be better if a guy was not involved in the program and would take the opportunity someplace else. But that hasn’t happened with Tony Mitchell.”

Mitchell was arrested on a felony marijuana possession with intent to sell and/or deliver charge on March 15 in Bonifay, Fla., the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office publicly shared on Facebook.

Mitchell, who was driving, and passenger Christophere Lewis were stopped by deputies with the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, March 15. During the traffic stop, police detected the “odor of burnt marijuana” coming from the vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office Facebook page. When asked if there was marijuana in the vehicle, Mitchell produced a baggie from the passenger floorboard. Both Mitchell and Lewis were then taken into custody.

“A search of the vehicle produced an additional significant amount of marijuana, a set of scales, a loaded handgun between the passenger seat and center console, and a large amount of cash,” per the Facebook post. Both subjects were taken to the Holmes County Jail. 

According to the arrest report obtained by AL.com, more than $7,000 in cash and 226 grams of marijuana were found in the vehicle. New details also revealed the vehicle Mitchell was driving evaded law enforcement at 141 mph before it was later found and stopped. Deputies stated Mitchell “admitting to fleeing law enforcement, claiming Mr. Lewis told him to ‘punch it.’”

Mitchell was one of 26 newcomers that enrolled at Alabama in January. He was a 4-star recruit out of Alabaster, Ala., during the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 industry rankings.

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