🏈 Alabama seniors share their favorite memories of Nick Saban

[rick4bama]

Alabama seniors share their favorite memories of Nick Saban



TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Saturday, Nov. 18, will be the final game inside Bryant-Denny Stadium for 21 Alabama seniors when the Crimson Tide hosts the Mercer Bears at 11 a.m. CT.

While that reality hasn’t sunk in for a lot of them yet, many of the veterans reflected on their college careers in Tuscaloosa this week ahead of Saturday’s Senior Day festivities during the team’s home finale -- an opportunity given to them by coach Nick Saban.

When asked what they will remember about their time at Alabama, several of the seniors shared their favorite memories of playing under the now-11th-year coach of the Crimson Tide.

“All the times with Coach Saban and all the things he coached and talked to us about and stuff like that,” wideout Cam Sims said. “Probably the yelling he does to get us ready. ... I know everything he says, there’s something behind it so you just have to focus in.”

Below are other seniors’ favorite memories of playing for and interacting with Saban.

Anthony Averett

“I think it was maybe my sophomore year. I got an interception at practice and, I mean, I thought it was a good play. I was thinking about the outcome, I got the interception, what can you be mad about? And he’s just critiquing me, getting on me about my technique, yelling at me -- can't really say what he really said -- he’s just getting on me. … I was like ‘OK, I thought I did a good job.’”

Levi Wallace

“I’d really have to go back and think about it. So many. Just being in meetings. He’s real funny, funnier than you guys think, especially in meetings watching film. You know, he swears he can cover every receiver we’ve got. When DBs mess up, things of that nature, he makes comments like that. Pretty funny.

“The receivers talk mess with him. ‘Coach Saban, I’ll run you over,’ stuff like that. But Coach Saban is first, though. Like, ‘If I was 20 years younger,’ things of that nature. He’s pretty funny like that.”

Andy Pappanastos

“I think it was the week before the Florida State game, and I had to change my number from 92 to 12. And he obviously knew what was going on. But he came up to me at practice and he just gave me a hard time. That was the number he wore in college. And he’s like, ‘I’m a lot better athlete than you.’ That was funny. I have really taken in anything the he has said. It’s been really helpful in football and life. I have just been really fortunate to be around him.”

 

[bama alum]

Andy Pappanastos

“I think it was the week before the Florida State game, and I had to change my number from 92 to 12. And he obviously knew what was going on. But he came up to me at practice and he just gave me a hard time. That was the number he wore in college. And he’s like, ‘I’m a lot better athlete than you.’ That was funny. I have really taken in anything the he has said. It’s been really helpful in football and life. I have just been really fortunate to be around him.”


That's pretty funny!