Nick Saban cried after "Kick Six" game, according to new Alabama football book
Losing to your rival in college football is always tough, but especially when that loss goes down in history as one of the most shocking moments in the sport.
That's true of the Kick Six, the now-legendary game-winning play by Auburn against Alabama in 2013 when, with one second left, Chris Davis returned a Crimson Tide field goal attempt 109 yards the other way for a historic touchdown in the stunning victory.
That moment ended Alabama's hopes of winning the SEC West and playing for what could have been a third-straight national championship.
It also brought Alabama's head coach to tears.
That's according to "The Leadership Secrets of Nick Saban," a new book by AL.com editor John Talty that paints a mournful atmosphere in Alabama's locker room after the game.
"You walk in and everyone is crying," former Alabama running back and specialist Christion Jones said in the book.
"Fifty percent crying and 50 percent tearing up. Coach Saban was in tears. He could barely talk. His face was red. Everyone was emotional. It was a funeral moment."
Alabama didn't recover from the loss on The Plains, losing as the No. 3 team in the country to No. 11 Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl, 45-31.
But it was a cornerstone moment for Saban and the Crimson Tide going forward.
Saban had been reluctant to adopt the relatively new up-tempo offense being introduced around college football, still sticking with the ground-and-pound approach typified by a strong rushing attack and tough defense.
But his experience that night in Auburn brought about a change of heart. Saban hired Lane Kiffin to coordinate Alabama's offense, debuting the faster-paced, more aggressive style of play the Crimson Tide has adopted ever since.
And to great acclaim: Alabama has won three College Football Playoff national championships since then, in 2015, in 2017, and in 2020.