Everything Nick Saban Said Following Alabama Football's 10th Spring Practice

Saban met with reporters on Wednesday following the Crimson Tide's 10th practice of the 2023 spring season.

Author:
Joey Blackwell
Updated:
Apr 12, 2023 8:20 PM EDT
Original:
Apr 12, 2023

In this story:

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Following Alabama football's 10th practice of the 2023 spring season, Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban held a press conference on Wednesday evening.

Alabama is currently making preparations for its final closed scrimmage of the spring, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday. The Crimson Tide will then hold two more practices next Tuesday and Thursday before finishing the spring season with the 2023 A-Day Game on Saturday afternoon inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Transcript: Nick Saban - April 12, 2023

Opening Statement

"So I think three points of emphasis that we've really tried to make after the scrimmage is really getting the guys to sustain, to finish, better effort to finish plays, better effort to maintain your intensity — whether it's during the play, the next play or the 50th play — to be able to sustain and have the mental toughness to be able to maintain and sustain your energy so you can finish plays. That also leads into mental errors.

"We've got to eliminate mental errors. Too many times, guys aren't doing what they're supposed to do and it leads to negative plays. So we're constantly trying to teach guys cause and effect. When you do this and you don't do it right, this is what happens. If you do it right, this is what happens. We have to get more consistency in performance, and I think it goes back to sustaining and maintaining intensity — the same way you have to finish a play — so that we eliminate mental errors, everybody can do their job and we can play better as a team. And that bleeds right into the other point of emphasis, which is penalties.

"You know, it's been a big emphasis for us this spring to eliminate penalties, and I think it goes back to the same thing. If I can maintain and sustain my intensity and focus on, whether it's jumping offsides, whether it's illegal motion, whether it's wrong formation. And half of our penalties have been pre- or post-snap. In other words, they don't happen during the play. And those things can all be eliminated if we just have a little bit of discipline, a little better focus and maintain intensity. So those are the things that we really want to emphasize.

"The last two days in practice, I thought the intensity's been good. I think the spirit's been good. I like the spirit of the team. I said that after the scrimmage. There's just a lot of things. We got a lot of young guys who've got a lot of things to work on to try and get a little better consistency in performance. So that's our focus this week. That'll be our focus for the scrimmage so that we get a little better execution on a little more consistent basis.

"Obviously, we've got the high school coaches clinic coming up this week. This is one thing we always look forward to. Coaches do a lot for us. They've done a lot of hard work to develop a lot of the guys that we coach on our team. And this is one way that we can thank them by trying to have the best possible clinic so that they can have an opportunity to develop knowledge and get some experience and get some new energy and ideas for things that they can do to help their program, but also hopefully have a good time as well. So we look forward to that as always."

On why he wanted to bring in Ken Whisenhunt as a special assistant...

"He's got a lot of good experience. He's a really good coach. You know, he's been a head coach, he's been an offensive coordinator in the NFL for a long time. I just thought it'd be a great complement to our staff. He's been in a similar role at Penn State for two years, so he's really learned the college game. He's a good guy. I think that everybody has a lot of respect for him, and I think his energy, his enthusiasm, his ideas have been very helpful to us."

On the role of HaHa Clinton-Dix...

“HaHa is a player development coach. Two others, Denzel [Devall] and Chap [Josh Chapman], do a great job. They coach the players in everything but football. HaHa has great character, great person, sets a really good example, really good leadership. Players migrate to him. He gives them great advice and direction in the things they can do to help them accomplish their goals.

“He just does a fantastic job for us and appreciate the fact he wants to be here and it always makes me happy when we have guys who played here, had great careers in the NFL, made the Pro Bowl, and want to be a part of the program. So we welcome him and he;’s done a fantastic job for us.”

On the progression of Elijah Pritchett...

“He’s done a good job. Elijah is getting better. I think he’s one of those young guys who needs to be able to sustain his intensity, not get penalties, do the little things right. But he has done a really, really good job this spring. He’s played well. He’s made a lot of progress and improvement. He’s really competing for a position as a starter.”

Regarding what is fundamental difference from scrimmage one to scrimmage two for coaches...

“I’m not sure how to answer that question. What’s the fundamental difference between game one and game two? Game one is the most important game when it’s game one, and scrimmage one is the most important scrimmage when it comes up. And scrimmage two just like game two is the most important when it comes up.

“I think each time we do a scrimmage we’re trying to create more of a game-like circumstance for the players. The first scrimmage we didn’t use the press box, for instance. We didn’t use it like we would in a game. Maybe in the next scrimmage we will do that. There are some differences. Sometimes we change us the situations in terms of doing other things we didn’t do in the first scrimmage.

“In terms of teaching, direction, trying to get the players ready to do what we’re going to do it really doesn’t change a lot. Points of emphasis may change a little bit, but our approach doesn’t change at all.”

On the qualities that are looked for players at Star...

“Star is really a Sam linebacker, but they’ve got three wideouts or more in a game, so playing on a wide receiver. That guy’s kind of versatility is different than a linebacker playing that position who could never play a guy man-to-man.

“But he is a Sam linebacker in essence, so it takes a guy who is a good tackler, he’s tough, he’s a good blitzer, but he’s got good enough block protection on the perimeter so when they throw smokes and bubbles he can win as well as being very instinctive in reading run-pass, but then he’s got to have enough coverage skills to be able to cover slot guys.

“So that’s kind of what we look for. Sometimes that guy’s a corner and sometimes he can be a safety. Brian Branch did a great job for us as did Minkah (Fitzpatrick) when he was here, as well as other positions. But I’m just saying those guys are typically the type guys you look for.”

On qualities you prioritize when you’re looking for a signal caller at inside linebacker...

"Well, first of all, the guy’s got to be a good communicator. Secondly, he’s got to be bright enough to understand A) what we’re trying to do on defense, but B) how to do we have to adjust that to whatever the formation is on offense relative to how we want to set the defense or how we want to run stuff or whatever.

"And obviously Henry was really good at that. And we have a couple of guys that have made significant progress at that during the spring. But I think it’s a work in progress and hopefully we can continue to build confidence in several of the linebackers’ ability to do that."

On how do spring injuries/young players’ getting more experience impact how you approach transfer portal...

"We talk to our players about what they need to do to develop in this program. That’s how we coach them every day and that’s how we focus on them every day. But I think the fact that we’ve had 3-4-5 at times starters out on defense has really given other guys great opportunities to be able to get a lot of reps to develop a lot of confidence in what they’re supposed to do and make a significant improvement and be responsible and compete like starters, which a lot of guys have. How that impacts the future, I really don’t have a crystal ball. I can’t tell you that, so I don’t really know how to answer that part of the question."

On which quarterback has made the most improvement in the spring so far...

"I think both guys have made really good progress. We’re not disappointed in anybody’s progress. I thought they both played well in the scrimmage. Both guys have had their moments in practice and they’ve also had learning opportunities when they’ve made mistakes. And both of them have responded very well and made improvement. I don’t have an evaluation other than that we’re coaching every one of the four quarterbacks that we have in the program every day try to help them develop to be the best players that they can be. We’re going to continue to do that and hopefully those guys will continue to have the right attitude about trying to play winning football at the position. And one of the things that sometimes you have to learn that you’ve got to eliminate the bad plays to play winning football.

"So there’s some plays in the game that kill you. So to be able to eliminate those things is as big a part of being able to execute all the good things. And that’s what help you play winning football. You eliminate mistakes and you can execute and take advantage when the opportunity presents itself because you’re going to distribute the ball on every down. And we don’t ever want to turn it over. You’ve heard me use the analogy before, we want every series to end in a kick. It might be a punt, it might be a field goal, it might be an extra point. But we’re not turning it over and giving it to the other team, and that’s an important part of being able to execute at the quarterback position."