Aaron Suttles
TideSports.com Senior Writer
Nick Saban knew the questions were coming and his calm response to the questions of his highly-controversial decision to recruit and sign Jonathan Taylor showed he was well prepared to speak on the subject.
Saban reiterated the institutional decision to accept Taylor into the University of Alabama while sidestepping discussing the individual circumstances of the case. Saban also mentioned "stipulations" placed up Taylor, but what those are weren't disclosed.
Taylor, who is facing two felony assault charges in the state of Georgia for a July 2014 domestic violence incident, is a part of Alabama's 2015 signing class, and for the first time since Taylor enrolled in January, Saban directly addressed the hotly-debated issue.
"This was a decision that got made by a lot of people here," Saban said. "It was a university decision. We recruited this young man out of high school and we felt that from what we knew about him, what his high school coach said, what the people at the school that he was at said about him, and where he came from in junior college, that he was the kind of guy that deserved a second chance. But with that chance, we also have stipulations of things that he needs to do from a personal development standpoint so that he won't make any kind of mistake like this ever again.
"That's an ongoing process with him and that's something that we continue to monitor and he has done a very good job with."
Charged with striking and choking his girlfriend, Taylor's case has yet to be adjudicated, and Taylor's defense attorney, Kim Stephens, has previously stated he has high hopes the charges will be lessened once the facts of the case come out. Regardless, the case is expected to be resolved before the fall.
Taylor was dismissed from the University of Georgia following his arrest in July 2014 and enrolled in Copiah-Lincoln Community College for the fall semester. Alabama re-recruited him, landed him and he enrolled in January.
Listed by Alabama at 6-foot-4, 335 pounds, Taylor fits in on an already deep and talented Crimson Tide defensive line, and with the departure of Brandon Ivory, Taylor will compete for the starting nose guard spot.
Saban most certainly did his homework on Taylor's situation and obviously felt strongly enough in the young man to lobby university administrators for his admission into school. That along with the "stipulations" must give Saban a certain level of comfort in the decision.
Domestic violence has been a national discussion in the sporting world since video revealed former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice striking his then-fiance in an Atlantic City, N.J. elevator. Rice was indefinitely suspended by the NFL and did not play during the 2014 season.
Saban said he was sensitive to the issue of domestic violence, but that individuals, on a case by case basis, are worthy of another chance.
"I said this before that when people are young -- and that is not a mistake that we condone in any shape or form, that's (disrespectful) to any person, let alone a female - there's is some occasion to not condemn them for life, but to give them another chance," Saban said.
"It's up to them to prove that they deserve that chance. And when they get that opportunity they need to definitely do their very best to take advantage of it. This is the decision that we made. I know the sensitivity of the issue, and we're going to do what we can to help this young man have success here and not have issues anymore."
- See more at: https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1734159#sthash.eaYsJ7I5.dpuf
TideSports.com Senior Writer
Nick Saban knew the questions were coming and his calm response to the questions of his highly-controversial decision to recruit and sign Jonathan Taylor showed he was well prepared to speak on the subject.
Saban reiterated the institutional decision to accept Taylor into the University of Alabama while sidestepping discussing the individual circumstances of the case. Saban also mentioned "stipulations" placed up Taylor, but what those are weren't disclosed.
Taylor, who is facing two felony assault charges in the state of Georgia for a July 2014 domestic violence incident, is a part of Alabama's 2015 signing class, and for the first time since Taylor enrolled in January, Saban directly addressed the hotly-debated issue.
"This was a decision that got made by a lot of people here," Saban said. "It was a university decision. We recruited this young man out of high school and we felt that from what we knew about him, what his high school coach said, what the people at the school that he was at said about him, and where he came from in junior college, that he was the kind of guy that deserved a second chance. But with that chance, we also have stipulations of things that he needs to do from a personal development standpoint so that he won't make any kind of mistake like this ever again.
"That's an ongoing process with him and that's something that we continue to monitor and he has done a very good job with."
Charged with striking and choking his girlfriend, Taylor's case has yet to be adjudicated, and Taylor's defense attorney, Kim Stephens, has previously stated he has high hopes the charges will be lessened once the facts of the case come out. Regardless, the case is expected to be resolved before the fall.
Taylor was dismissed from the University of Georgia following his arrest in July 2014 and enrolled in Copiah-Lincoln Community College for the fall semester. Alabama re-recruited him, landed him and he enrolled in January.
Listed by Alabama at 6-foot-4, 335 pounds, Taylor fits in on an already deep and talented Crimson Tide defensive line, and with the departure of Brandon Ivory, Taylor will compete for the starting nose guard spot.
Saban most certainly did his homework on Taylor's situation and obviously felt strongly enough in the young man to lobby university administrators for his admission into school. That along with the "stipulations" must give Saban a certain level of comfort in the decision.
Domestic violence has been a national discussion in the sporting world since video revealed former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice striking his then-fiance in an Atlantic City, N.J. elevator. Rice was indefinitely suspended by the NFL and did not play during the 2014 season.
Saban said he was sensitive to the issue of domestic violence, but that individuals, on a case by case basis, are worthy of another chance.
"I said this before that when people are young -- and that is not a mistake that we condone in any shape or form, that's (disrespectful) to any person, let alone a female - there's is some occasion to not condemn them for life, but to give them another chance," Saban said.
"It's up to them to prove that they deserve that chance. And when they get that opportunity they need to definitely do their very best to take advantage of it. This is the decision that we made. I know the sensitivity of the issue, and we're going to do what we can to help this young man have success here and not have issues anymore."
- See more at: https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1734159#sthash.eaYsJ7I5.dpuf
