He really does. I think that's so important to the whole process. Heck, he was in "The Blind Side", described as a charmer!
I tell you what, if Nick Saban walked into my house with an offer for my kid, I would start screaming RAMMER JAMMER in my kid's ear!! It's his (maybe hers, one day!) decision in the end, but man, if I ever have a kid who rocks at football, I hope they want to play in Tuscaloosa!
My oldest boy is a good football player. He has always started at middle linebacker, loves to hit and is always around the football. Has always led his team in tackles and is the hardest worker on every team he has ever been on. But he is undersized, he is smaller than some of the corner backs on the team. He is the biggest Bama fan you will ever meet but the odds of him playing at bama are almost zero.
Fortunately, he is a great student and his goal is to go to Westpoint and play football. If he falls short he will probably end up playing at some division three type school but I would be proud dad no matter where he lands.
I say all that, besides bragging on my boy, to say that being at the level where you get the opportunity to have Nick in your living room courting your child to come to bama takes more than just skill and desire. There has to be the right size, skill, desire, speed academics and attitude and that narrows down the candidates in a major way. Those select few hear from everybody that has a program telling them about the best possible scenario of how great there child will be.
Nick is different, he tells them how hard it's going to be and talks about all the things that the other recruiters are scared to talk about like washing out, getting injured or not being good enough. He tells them that he will teach them how to focus on what they can control, that they will have every resource possible to help them graduate with a real degree from a great university, he shows them a graduation rate that is second in the nation and then tells them that he holds them to a higher standard. and that if they don't feel he can live up to that standard then Alabama might not be the place for them, but if they can, that they will play football at the top program in the world, get life lessons on hard work and dedication, get a degree that will be with them forever and oh by the way if they are good enough to go the the NFL.. Alabama has had more players selected in the NFL draft than some conferences in the last 8 years.
Most parents have more fear about the what if than they do dreams about striking it rich. But being able to calm the fears of some and sell them best possibilty for the nfl lottery helps. And the beauty of it is he doesn't have to sell a lie, a hope or a promise. He is selling facts.
Momma loves to hear the truth and that somebody will keep junior straight and make him a man.
