Looking at Andrew Whitworth's 6-foot-7, 330-pound frame, the last thing one would expect from a lineman of that stature is for him to break down in tears. However, it already happened, and it was due to none other than Nick Saban.
Appearing on Julian Edelman's podcast, Whitworth recounted his collegiate days in LSU, speaking on a particular Saban moment that's fresh in his mind until today.
“You know I got young Nick (as coach), so he was whew,” Whitworth said, via Games with Names podcast. “I think the best thing I could say is my very first time I was a rookie, I mean a freshman. We had a game, we had Monday morning, early morning film, five minutes late, maybe three minutes late I don't know.
“I was really late getting across campus, and he would wait at the door to close it when the time would end. And he took those glasses off like he always does, and he lit me up. Into a way, like, I was just like in tears the rest of the meeting, and I'll never forget it.
“And my wife to this day is so tired of me because I am 45 minutes early to everything, like I'm fully dressed before I got to be anywhere ready to go.”
Talk about a life-changing experience. It can be noted how Whitworth's LSU tenure was back from 2001-05 so having instilled habits due to a tongue-lashing over two decades ago must have meant that it was quite something.
Nick Saban's fiery leadership
As for college football's greatest coach, not everyone fits his style of leadership. Throughout his storied career, Nick Saban is known for his “tough love” approach toward his players. Emphasizing discipline inside and outside the field, Saban has high expectations for those under his wing…and that's exactly where the strict mentorship comes from.
One mistake, no matter how small it is, will catch Saban's attention, and he'll make sure he gets his message across to the person accountable. Even if it'll take a fiery outburst in front of an entire crowd or on National TV, Saban won't hesitate to do it.
Andrew Whitworth exemplifies Saban's ability to churn out NFL players
That style of coaching has certainly produced outstanding results. Look at Whitworth, for example. The lineman wound up being part of LSU's 2003 national championship under Saban. Furthermore, Whitworth went on to have a 16-year NFL career culminating in a Super Bowl title in 2022.
Whitworth is just one of the many players under the coach who went on to the pros. Saban may have won at LSU, but he's synonymous with Alabama football, where six national championships were garnered under his name.
Throughout his Alabama tenure, a total of 123 Crimson Tide players (44 first-rounders) have been drafted to the NFL. All in all, other schools included, the head coach produced 49 first-round picks.
Other big names such as Julio Jones, Derrick Henry and Minkah Fitzpatrick have gone through Saban's mentorship.
Is the Nick Saban coaching style for everyone? No, it's not. Does it work, though? To say it “works” is a severe understatement.
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