Cecil Hurt
TideSports.com Columnist
After a full regular season, there aren't many superlatives remaining for Blake Sims, the national feel-good story of the college football season. But that didn't stop Nick Saban on Saturday.
"I had a little 10-year-old boy come up to me after A-Day and ask me if we had a quarterback other than Blake Sims," Saban related.
Later, Saban joked that the 10-year-old "probably jumped on the bandwagon at some point just like the rest of you," which I think was directed at the media and not Alabama fans in general, although, like SEC officials, you can't be sure of that, even when you watch the replay. In a less jocular vein, Saban gently said he told the 10-year-old that "we didn't really feature some of the things Blake was good at during A-Day." So, if nothing else, some media outlet should hire a 10-year-old to ask the tough questions, because Saban's answer to that same question from the regular beat reporters would probably have been a bit more animated.
Now, coaches and teammates insist that they weren't "really" surprised at the emergence of Sims.
"I don't think anybody doubted him on this team, because we knew he was going to give it his all," center Ryan Kelly said on Tuesday. "That's what he did and look what happened. From the outside, (Sims) may not be your typical quarterback when you compare his height to AJ (McCarron). But Blake can make some plays with his legs that AJ couldn't make. So we knew what to expect."
Now, bets were hedged. Other quarterbacks got a shot. While deferring to those with inside information, like coaches and teammates, no one could have been 100 percent certain that Sims would blossom - but he did.
For most of us, and not just that outspoken 10-year-old, Sims' success has been surprising, and it couldn't have happened, in Saban's estimation, to a better person. In the three previous seasons in which Saban's Alabama teams have reached the point of preparing for post-season national championship play, he has had praise for the team leaders. Mark Ingram's Heisman season was an example. So was Barrett Jones' Outland Trophy year. But there hasn't been so much praise of that sort from the coach's podium, not even in 2009. I won't say Saban has a "favorite" team. Coaches wisely don't talk about such emotions, even if they have them. But the emphasis on character has been unavoidable.
The theme was echoed when Saban was asked about some of last week's award ceremonies, particularly Amari Cooper's trip to New York City for the Heisman ceremony.
"I thought Amari did a great job," Saban said. "In fact, it was really really refreshing to see (that) all the Heisman finalists were fantastic people. They were all really classy... That's the way it should be."
Immediately, listeners began reading between the lines. Was that a subtle shot at Jameis Winston? At McCarron, last year's runner-up? At Johnny Manziel? Cam Newton?
People are going to find what they want in some of Saban's statements, but I think the context, with Saban following that comment with the story about Sims, was saying more about character on his current team than it was slamming someone else. In fact, that might be one of the main reasons why this team is where it is.
https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1716447
TideSports.com Columnist
After a full regular season, there aren't many superlatives remaining for Blake Sims, the national feel-good story of the college football season. But that didn't stop Nick Saban on Saturday.
"I had a little 10-year-old boy come up to me after A-Day and ask me if we had a quarterback other than Blake Sims," Saban related.
Later, Saban joked that the 10-year-old "probably jumped on the bandwagon at some point just like the rest of you," which I think was directed at the media and not Alabama fans in general, although, like SEC officials, you can't be sure of that, even when you watch the replay. In a less jocular vein, Saban gently said he told the 10-year-old that "we didn't really feature some of the things Blake was good at during A-Day." So, if nothing else, some media outlet should hire a 10-year-old to ask the tough questions, because Saban's answer to that same question from the regular beat reporters would probably have been a bit more animated.
Now, coaches and teammates insist that they weren't "really" surprised at the emergence of Sims.
"I don't think anybody doubted him on this team, because we knew he was going to give it his all," center Ryan Kelly said on Tuesday. "That's what he did and look what happened. From the outside, (Sims) may not be your typical quarterback when you compare his height to AJ (McCarron). But Blake can make some plays with his legs that AJ couldn't make. So we knew what to expect."
Now, bets were hedged. Other quarterbacks got a shot. While deferring to those with inside information, like coaches and teammates, no one could have been 100 percent certain that Sims would blossom - but he did.
For most of us, and not just that outspoken 10-year-old, Sims' success has been surprising, and it couldn't have happened, in Saban's estimation, to a better person. In the three previous seasons in which Saban's Alabama teams have reached the point of preparing for post-season national championship play, he has had praise for the team leaders. Mark Ingram's Heisman season was an example. So was Barrett Jones' Outland Trophy year. But there hasn't been so much praise of that sort from the coach's podium, not even in 2009. I won't say Saban has a "favorite" team. Coaches wisely don't talk about such emotions, even if they have them. But the emphasis on character has been unavoidable.
The theme was echoed when Saban was asked about some of last week's award ceremonies, particularly Amari Cooper's trip to New York City for the Heisman ceremony.
"I thought Amari did a great job," Saban said. "In fact, it was really really refreshing to see (that) all the Heisman finalists were fantastic people. They were all really classy... That's the way it should be."
Immediately, listeners began reading between the lines. Was that a subtle shot at Jameis Winston? At McCarron, last year's runner-up? At Johnny Manziel? Cam Newton?
People are going to find what they want in some of Saban's statements, but I think the context, with Saban following that comment with the story about Sims, was saying more about character on his current team than it was slamming someone else. In fact, that might be one of the main reasons why this team is where it is.
https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1716447
