As Fall Camp Moves Along, Nick Saban Says Championship Culture Needs to Be Re-Established
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama football program is gearing toward its first scrimmage of fall camp this weekend, and coach Nick Saban met with the media via Zoom on Monday evening to discuss what he has noticed from his players over the first week of practices.
"I really don't see anything," Saban said when asked what was different about this year's camp compared to previous ones due to COVID-19 protocols. "We practice, we still do the same footwork drills, receivers run the same routes, quarterbacks got the same reads, offensive linemen gotta block, defensive players gotta tackle, everybody's gotta key and read the right thing. So when we're out there on the field, everybody's focused on, 'What do I have to do to be a good football player?'
"The wearing of the mask, the staying apart when you're not in there [are different], but when you're in there playing, it's your turn, it's your rep, we expect you to be 100% focused on doing your job and doing it the right way. So I don't see anything different. There's no difference for me except this thing around my neck that I wear that, when I put up here, I can't seem to get the same emphasis that I'd like sometimes. I mean, I look like Jesse James robbing a bank. And I can't get on people like I like to. It muffles the sound a little bit. So when we need to get someone's attention, we have to come out of bank-robber mode."
However, Saban did mention two position groups specifically, outside linebackers and running backs, that he was pleased with after the first practice in full pads.
The outside linebacker room has a lot of depth and mixture of veterans and new faces. Experienced players included redshirt senior Ben Davis and redshirt junior Christopher Allen, who defensive coordinator Pete Golding has been blown away by.
“They’ve worked their rear ends off," Golding said. "They’ve been in here studying, they’ve worked with the young guys on Zoom and it’s really nice right now. Those two guys are like coaches on the field. That’s been a big, big help to these young guys in that room that are talented that can play and for them to take them under their wing has been really nice."
Newcomers at the position like freshmen Will Anderson, Drew Sanders, Quandarrius Robinson, and Chris Braswell have been making waves since they have arrived on campus.
“I’m impressed with all the young players that we have," Saban said. "I think all four of those guys have shown some promise in what they can do. I think a couple of them probably are going to add depth to our team. I think they have some pass-rush ability, they’re high-effort guys, they’re really good athletes. So, a couple of those guys are going to be able to contribute to the team. I don’t know for sure which ones yet. There’s still a work in progress in terms of the evaluation, but I’m encouraged by that group.”
On the other hand, running back might be a position group that Saban feels most comfortable with, given that he has two senior tailbacks leading the way in Najee Harris and Brian Robinson Jr.
"Those two guys [Harris and Robinson] have done great," Saban said. "They've really worked hard; they've had great camps so far. Trey Sanders has done extremely well. The young guys have done really, really well. I see them all contributing and I think those guys can all have a role on our team. That's an area on our team that I really like the depth.
"I like the experience we have with two seniors, and then there's some young guys that have some really, really good ability to contribute. And these guys are all really good special teams players. I think when you have depth at linebacker, running back, tight end, skill positions, wide receiver, DB, that really, really helps you on special teams because those guys take up a lot of roles on special teams, and I think those guys are going to make a real contribution in all those areas as well."
Finishing 11-2 last season with a win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl still left a sour taste in the coach's mouth this offseason. Getting back to the championship standard has been a theme that the media and fans have heard a great deal about so far in fall camp and Saban made sure to re-iterate that point last night.
"I don't think there's any question about it," Saban said. "Me personally, I'm not pleased with the way we played last year. Yeah, we had a lot of adversity as a team: we lost good players with injuries, but there were other opportunities for other players to step up and be able to play and play with discipline, give better effort, play with better intangibles, play better together as a team, have better leadership on the team.
"I do not think that last year's team reflected the culture of what we're trying to develop here, what has made this program be as successful over time [as] it has been. There's no question that we're trying to emphasize the fact that we want to make sure we re-established that culture, and it comes from the buy-in of every player to believe and trust that the things we're asking them to do is gonna help them have success individually as well as collectively as a team."
