Jordan Battle on Nick Saban's Demeanor: "He’s just in a good mood"
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Over his time at Alabama, safety Jordan Battle has been known to drop a gold nugget from time to time regarding Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban.
Last September, Battle revealed in a press conference that Saban liked to make jokes during practice, citing a specific joke in particular that is evidently a favorite of the coach. While it had been known that jokes during practice had been a regular occurrence from Saban for quite some time, the story last September put his humor back into the spotlight once again.
On Friday afternoon, Battle met with the media for the first time this fall camp. During the press conference, Battle was asked if Saban had added any new jokes to his repertoire.
“Not really any Saban jokes lately, but he’s been laughing a lot in the little meetings that we have after when we have people come in and talk to us," Battle said. "he’s been laughing and being a little more interactive, so I’ve been liking his energy lately.”
On Wednesday, Saban concluded his midweek press conference with a silly-yet-bizarre final quote, saying the following with his voice dripping with sarcasm yet with a smile on his face:
"So, I’m supposed to smile, and say thank you."
It's no small secret that Saban has a sense of humor. However, it seems that Saban has been more jolly lately than is typical during fall camp. What exactly could that mean?
Battle isn't sure if he knows the answer.
“I mean, I guess he’s just in a good mood, you know?" Battle said. "I mean, he’s always in a good mood. I mean, I don’t think he’s any changed from last year to this year — it’s just who he is, his personality. Like I said before in these interviews, I wish everybody could just see how he really is every day.”
While Saban might have been jovial last fall camp behind the scenes, he didn't reveal that to the general public and he certainly didn't do so throughout the season. 2021 saw Saban repeatedly rant during not just press conferences, but also during his weekly appearance on the Hey Coach! radio program.
Saban's two key issues that seemed to upset him last year were leadership and mentality among the team. Repeatedly, Saban cited the 'poor mes' as being a problem amongst players. This year, however, Saban has nothing but positive things to say about the focus, drive and leadership among his Crimson Tide players.
Battle's first question from reporters on Friday was concerning his offseason development and the leadership role he has taken among the defensive backs. His answer echoed what fans have heard from other players so far this fall camp.
“I’ve been improving my leadership skills," Battle said. "Just trying to get the younger guys onboard, letting the team know that the main focus for this year, we all know what that is, and we know what it takes to get there. So just reiterating that every day, making sure we come out and practice hard every day and be competitive.”
So why does Saban seem to be happier this fall camp than in years past? It could very well be that this team is listening not just to him, but to the players in leadership roles on the team. And if Saban is this happy this early with his team's mentality, that could spell trouble for the other teams of college football.
