The powerhouse that is Alabama football was not built overnight and was the product of years of commitment. While former head coach Nick Saban has finally retired after 22 years with the program, he's still ready to run practice with his former players whenever they're ready.
Saban joked about still having that coaching itch when receiving the “Icon Award” from Mark Ingram and Bryce Young at the ESPYS Thursday, via SportsCenter.
“It's an honor for me to have two of our former Heisman Trophy winners here to present this award to me,” Saban said. “I'm also very thankful for the other players, former players that played for us that are here tonight. We have a good group of guys here, enough that we could actually have practice after this.”
Ingram and Young each won National Championships with Saban and the Crimson Tide, with Ingram winning in 2009 and Young in 2020. The legendary head coach won six titles with the program, as well as nine conference championships.
Saban also won a “natty” with LSU in 2003, making him the most decorated coach in the sport's history, and the only one to win titles with two different FBS schools since the advent of the AP Poll in 1936.
Of course, part of Saban's legacy is not only his success but that of the players he sent to the NFL as well. Ingram, for example, played 12 seasons in the league, winning three Pro Bowls after being drafted 28th overall by the New Orleans Saints in 2011.
Young's story, on the other hand, is still being written. The 2021 consensus All-American was taken first overall by the Carolina Panthers in 2023, and is now going into his second season as the franchise hopes for him to be their best signal-caller since Cam Newton.
Saban, however, didn't stop after the joke. The 72-year-old gave a heartfelt and memorable speech, complete with several powerful quotes.
Saban showed off the wisdom that led to so much success with Alabama football
College coaches are responsible for not only winning games but helping their student-athletes develop as people. Saban's sharpness in both the game of football and the navigation of life contributed to his prolific run with the Crimson Tide.
Saban dropped a particularly thought-provoking quote later in the speech, via Sidelines Bama.
“The one thing my dad told me when I was a young kid in West Virginia, that was the most important part of your character, was ‘have compassion for other people,'” Saban said. “‘People aren't going to remember what you say, they're going to remember how you made them feel.'”
It's safe to say that both Alabama and college football fans alike will remember Saban for a long time.
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