Transitioning to the NFL can pose a bit of a challenge for some players that were successful at the college level. Fortunately, there is a sense of familiarity for Miami Dolphins cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick spent his college years under the tutelage of Alabama head coach Nick Saban. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, he says Saban's coaching style is similar to head coach Adam Gase's:
“They’re both very passionate coaches,” Fitzpatrick told reporters on Tuesday. “They’re both really hands-on. The only difference is Coach Saban yells a little bit more. But that’s about it. Coach Gase is a great coach. He’s a real energetic coach. All of the players love playing for him. I love playing for him and I’m happy that he’s my head coach.”
It is encouraging to see that Fitzpatrick is acclimating well with his new coach. He thrived under the passionate Saban while at Alabama and ultimately finished his career there as a two-time National Champion and two-time Consensus All-American. He also took home the Chuck Bednarik and Jim Thorpe Award last season.
Needless to say, Saban showed nothing but praise for Fitzpatrick throughout his draft process. As a result, Miami took him with the 11th overall pick despite the many voids that were left on the team during the offseason.
Miami likely drafted him to make an immediate impact on their defense. Fitzpatrick certainly has all the tools of a prototypical shutdown corner. Hopefully, he will be able to progress under Gase just like he did Saban over the last several years.