Nick Saban says he would be willing to recruit a gay player to Alabama

Nick Saban has led the Crimson Tide to three national championships. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban said he would be willing to recruit a gay player, according to Mark Long of The Associated Press.

Saban said he would be comfortable bringing a gay player into the Crimson Tide program because he has previously been on teams that had "folks like that."

SEC co-Defensive Player of the Year Michael Sam made headlines earlier this year when he came out as gay in advance of the NFL draft. Sam had told his teammates he was gay at the beginning of the 2013 season.

The four-time national championship coach was speaking to reporters at the annual SEC meetings, where he also talked about strength of schedule, saying he would prefer to play all games within the Power Five conferences and avoid FCS schools, but adds that the realities of scheduling mean "sometimes you don't have a choice."

Nick Saban, when asked whether he would sign or recruit a gay player, says he would because he's been on teams with "folks like that."
— Mark Long (@APMarkLong) May 27, 2014

Alabama coach Nick Saban wants Big 5 to play all games w/in those conferences, but understands some schools' bowl eligibility issues
— Mark Long (@APMarkLong) May 27, 2014

Bama coach Nick Saban says playing FCS teams can be a necessity: "Sometimes you don't have a choice" because schools don't want to play SEC
— Mark Long (@APMarkLong) May 27, 2014