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Nick Saban lectures on 'importance of nothing' after Wednesday's practice

1918632_10206777287683070_1367905321192383146_nby:Charlie Potter•10/11/23•

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Alabama coach Nick Saban (1)
Nick Saban (Courtesy of Alabama Athletics)

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Nick Saban typically greets reporters in the Naylor Stone Media Suite with a, “How we doing?” before starting the opening statement of his press conference.

But after Alabama’s Wednesday practice of Arkansas game week, he had a different greeting.

“OK, y’all ready for a lecture?” Saban said.

The Crimson Tide head coach proceeded to share what was obviously a message to his team after what was seemingly a poor practice performance on a rainy Tuscaloosa afternoon.

“Let’s talk about the importance of nothing,” Saban began. “You get up every day, you’re entitled to nothing. Nobody owes you nothing. You could have talent, but if you don’t have discipline, if you don’t execute, you don’t focus, you get nothing. If you’re complacent and not paying attention to detail, what does that get you? Nothing.

“Nothing is acceptable but your best. Everything is determined by what you do and you trying to be your best so that you can build on positive performance. That’s the only thing. There should be nothing else but that, for everybody. That’s what we have to stay focused on. It’s what we need to do. We got rained out today, so we had to go inside. 

“We need to not accept anything but our best in terms of what we’re doing for preparation.”

How does one know Saban was in a mood? A simple question about preparing the team for an annular solar eclipse that will partially eclipse the sun in Saturday’s game against Arkansas led him to send yet another message to his team, this one concerning concentration.

“I think you have to prepare your team for every distraction,” Saban said. “The best way to do that would be to text it to them, so they can read it on their phones. Sometimes they don’t listen, but if you text it to them, they’ll read it. That might be a new technique that we try. 

“We’ll text them what they’re supposed to do on the field, they’ll probably get it then.”

Alabama will play host to Arkansas on Saturday, Oct. 14, for an 11 a.m. CT kickoff on ESPN.

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