Tuscaloosa Magazine Special Issue 2017

SPECIAL ISSUE

Reflecting on Nick Saban’s 10 years at Alabama and the 2016 season

A decade of

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table of contents

Members of the Alabama defense congratulate Alabama linebacker Tim Williams (56) after he sacked Washington quarterback Jake Browning in the second half of the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016. Alabama won the game 24-7. Staff Photo/Erin Nelson

Foreword Credits Cecil Hurt column

Nick Saban features Cover story Nick Saban bio Nick Saban fun facts Top Nick Saban quotes Top 10 players under Nick Saban Nick Saban's Alabama team rankings Top 10 wins at Alabama under Nick Saban Top 10 plays at Alabama under Nick Saban Top 10 recruiting wins under Nick Saban Top 10 villains of the Nick Saban era Top 10 hires at Alabama by Nick Saban Championship season capsules under Nick Saban Saban and stability Alabama season capsules under Nick Saban The Alabama All-Nick Saban Team

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8 15 16 17 19 20 20-21 22-23 25 26-27 30-31 32-35 37 38-42 44-48

Nick Saban timeline at Alabama

2016 season recap Southern Cal Western Kentucky Ole Miss Kent State Kentucky Arkansas Tennessee Texas A&M LSU Mississippi State Chattanooga Auburn SEC Championship: Florida CFP Semifinal: Washington CFP Championship: Clemson

Afterword

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60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 81 82 84 86 88 90

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Associate Editor Becky Hopf Director of Photography Gary Cosby Jr. Photographers Gary Cosby Jr. Erin Nelson Laura Chramer Writers Tommy Deas Cecil Hurt Ben Jones Aaron Suttles Terrin Waack Tyler Waldrep Published by: The Tuscaloosa News 315 28th Ave. Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 205-345-0505 Executive Editor Michael James Executive Sports Editor Tommy Deas Sports Editor Cecil Hurt Controller Steve Hopper Operations Director Paul Hass Advertising Director Lynnie Guzman Prepress Manager Chuck Jones To advertise 205-722-0173

A

Tommy Deas

lot can happen in 10 years.

In early 2007, Steve Jobs announced that Apple would be releasing something called the iPhone. A few days later, J.K. Rowling finished the final book in the Harry Potter series.

Johnny Depp and Jennifer Anniston were the top

movie stars.

In sports, Peyton Manning led the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl victory over the Chicago Bears and the Florida Gators sat atop the college football world with a young star named Tim Tebow poised to keep them there for at least a few years to come.

Often, one event shifts the course of history. Early in that year, the University of Alabama hired Nick Saban. Everyone knew he would likely win a lot of games. Most people thought he’d be gone within five years.

That hire, however, changed the landscape in college football.

Alabama, which had been up and down in the decades since the end of the Paul W. “Bear” Bryant era, was about to mount an unprecedented run of dominance.

Before Tebow’s days in Florida were up, Alabama had bumped the Gators aside.

Ten years later, Saban is still here. And Alabama is the program everyone aspires to beat ... or to be.

It’s been an amazing ride, one that will probably be appreciated more in hindsight in the years and decades to come.

How fitting that Saban’s 10th year at Alabama would be another championship season. The Crimson Tide ran undefeated through the regular season and won the Southeastern Conference championship. It defeated Washington in the College Football Playoff semifinal and faced Clemson in Tampa for yet another national title.

Making history isn’t easy, Alabama was ahead with just a couple of minutes to go against Clemson. A victory would have vaulted Saban into the majestic realm alongside Bryant with six national titles (including the one he won at LSU). But the Tigers came back and denied Alabama at the last second.

Who knows what things will look like in 2027. That’s 10 years off.

A lot can happen in a decade.

To subscribe 205-722-0102 5

No one saw this kind of

dominance coming Coach Nick Saban watches his Crimson Tide players warm up before Alabama’s 49-30 win over the Razorbacks in Fayetteville on Oct. 8, 2016. Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.

Cecil Hurt

6

N

o one knew.

No one knew for certain 10 years ago that Alabama was on the verge of another Golden Age, that a plane landing on a Tarmac in Tuscaloosa was bringing not just a talented football coach — everyone knew that — but that the coach would ring another era of dominance, the third or fourth or fifth for UA, depending on how you calculate some things. There is no universal method since it isn’t an issue for most schools. No one can be sure such things are destiny.

What some people did know, even a decade ago, was there was no other candidate available like Nick Saban. Even while the decision to make a coaching change was still being debated, there was a faction of strong Saban support in Mal Moore’s ear. Their categorization was that Saban was such an “absolute coaching machine” that Alabama needed to pursue him as long as there was a glimmer of hope that he

would leave the NFL. That support remained steadfast through the tumult of a coaching search. Not everyone was in favor of pushing the panic button to pursue Rich Rodriguez. When Rodriguez wavered about remaining at West Virginia, they urged Moore not to make any countering offers, certainly not for a coach who couldn’t decide that Tuscaloosa was a better career choice than Morgantown. When luck had it that Rodriguez declined the hasty offer, patience became the watchword.

Hiring a proven head coach in his prime is never easy.

People tend not to grasp that when they see primeseeming jobs at the top tier of the Power Five filled by less-than-guaranteed hires. But who can offer guarantees? What coaches are at that level today? Saban and Urban Meyer, and maybe, at the next tier, Bob Stoops, Jim Harbaugh, Chris Petersen, Dabo Swinney and Jimbo Fisher.

Think of it this way: the University of Texas, awash in money and tradition, is elated over the hiring of Tom Herman. And there is nothing wrong with that. But, for all his promise, how does Herman’s resume compare with Saban’s, even his 2007 bona fides? As much as Alabama fans revere the UA program, the fact is that Alabama has made two such transcendent coaching hires in its history. One of those was an alum. But those two, Paul W. “Bear” Bryant and Nick Saban, put Alabama far ahead of the curve. Both came wearing large boots at a

time when the Alabama program needed a kick in the pants.

Beyond that, it’s pointless to compare the greatness of geniuses. Human nature seems to require us to make a definitive statement about who was better, Mozart or Beethoven. In sports, with a scoreboard in its DNA, that seems even more necessary. But judging a competition without context is impossible. The fair statement is that both coaches, Saban and Bryant, were (or are) better than anyone at what they do at the time they are (or were) doing it.

No one knew, 10 years ago, no matter what they claim 10 years after. Not even Nick Saban knew. Certainly, he came on the scene with confidence. But no one can be sure of circumstances. The Dolphins experiment taught him that, or reinforced what he already knew. There was, however, a chance. Alabama was a place where it had been done before, and it’s fair to assume that Saban believed that if someone else could do it, then so could he.

Will it last forever? Of course not. But this isn’t the time to ponder the future, but to recognize the greatness of a decade — and, if you’re an Alabama fan, to be grateful that it worked out so incredibly well.

Reach Cecil Hurt at cecil@tidesports.com or 205-722-0225.

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Nick Saban leads the Crimson Tide in the first fall practice Thursday afternoon, Aug. 4, 2016.

Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.

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COVER STORY

A decade of

dominance Nick Saban’s ‘Process’ flourishes at Alabama, resulting in championship seasons, Heisman Trophy winners and first-round NFL draft picks

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By ben jones

hen Nick Saban was hired 10 years ago, he brought with him high expectations, a no-nonsense approach to football, and ‘The Process.’ It took a few years to take root, but once Saban’s philopsophy was accepted by players — and even fans — ‘The Process’ began to flourish. In his 10 seasons at Alabama, Saban has won five SEC championships and four national titles, with another one within reach. The Tuscaloosa News looks back on those first few years of Saban’s tenure at Alabama and delves into how ‘The Process’ took hold and re-shaped the culture at Alabama after years of mediocrity.

Before Nick Saban, there was uncertainty.

There is ambiguity and apprehension that comes with any coaching search. The University of Alabama’s pursuit of a new football coach at the end of the 2006 season was rife with it.

Rich Rodriguez had been offered the job and turned it down in the middle of the Crimson Tide’s bowl preparation. Saban, head coach of the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League at the time, had publicly said he wouldn’t be the next coach in Tuscaloosa. Steve Spurrier’s name was publicly floated for the job. The process that eventually brought The Process to Alabama carried on for more than a month.

“One of the things I knew was that you couldn’t worry about the things you couldn’t control,” former quarterback John Parker Wilson said. “And we couldn’t control who the next coach was going to be or who wanted to come there or not.”

The season had been long and disappointing.

After going 10-2 in 2005, Mike Shula was let go after going 6-6 in 2006. Some players felt like 2006 was just a down year rather than a larger step back for the program.

“I think everybody, to a man, would still tell you today that they love Mike Shula,” former offensive lineman Mike Johnson said. “A lot of

9

University of Alabama Athletics Director Mal Moore introduced Nick Saben as the new head football coach at a 10 a.m. press conference on Thursday Jan 4, 2007 in Tuscaloosa. File photo

people had allegiance to Mike and feel like he was done wrong.”

If losing Shula was difficult for players, moving on without a permanent head coach was even more difficult. Defensive coordinator Joe Kines was appointed interim head coach, but there was still a void at the top of the program.

“It’s so weird to play for a program without a head coach,” Johnson said. “You don’t feel like you have any direction. You don’t feel like you have any goals. You’re not sure what you’re getting.”

First impressions There was nothing uncertain about Nick Saban.

News broke that he had accepted the job on Jan. 3, and he was introduced in Tuscaloosa the next day. Most of the players were home with their families when it happened. They learned about it by watching ESPN or reading a newspaper, much like most of the fans.

Changes from Shula started with the very first handshake. Johnson was watching Saban’s press conference on TV when he saw the incumbent quarterback introduce himself to the new coach.

“They had video of (John Parker Wilson) shaking Coach Saban’s hand in the hallway and I just remember thinking that Coach Saban didn’t look too chatty,” Johnson said. “…I thought that was a big signal for how things were going to go.”

10

The interaction wasn’t much more comfortable in person.

“I went up there and said, ‘Hey, coach, looking forward to getting started,’” Wilson said. “He kind of chuckled like, ‘Yeah, we’re starting Fourth Quarter drills next week. We’ll see if you still want to be around here then.’”

The first impression many players had of Saban came from his time with the Dolphins. Saban made headlines in summer of 2006 when he berated Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Manuel Wright. The lineman left the field crying in full view of cameras as Saban continued his scorching rebuke.

Alabama players weren’t greeted with so much fire, but some of their introductions were chilly. Linebacker Eryk Anders was walking through the football facility with defensive back Chris Rogers when he found himself face to face with their new coach.

“We bumped into him, and I was really surprised that he wasn’t a bit taller,” Anders said. “But you could tell when you shook his hand that he was there to win and he was about business. … The same day we got introduced to him, he cracked open to the playbook. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that approach. They hired him on to win, and at the end of the day that’s what he’s doing.”

From his very first day on campus, Saban used words like “champion” and “dominate.” He arrived with a new

vision for the program and intensity that had been lacking. He had a national championship at LSU to prove his concept and experience in the NFL to round out his credentials. His personality may have been alien to players, but he had the proof that his methods worked.

He had help, too. Strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran was one of the first to arrive. He would be responsible for the offseason program Saban alluded to when he met Wilson.

“They showed us a diagram, almost like a walkthrough, how this Fourth Quarter program was going to be run,” Johnson said. “They wanted to make sure that things ran smoothly when we got to Fourth Quarter. I remember that day, thinking, ‘This is not going to be good. This is not going to be like Coach Shula’s old mat drills. This is going to be different.’ I think we did maybe a total of six mat drills with Coach Shula the year before, and this was a four-day-a-week process, this Fourth Quarter program. It was not a fun time. I remember going through that dry run of it, they were telling you the times we were going to achieve and how quick we were going to do this. We had like a one-minute water break in the middle of an hour of running. I’m sitting there going, ‘We might die.’”

Johnson’s fears might have been exaggerated. The difficulty of the Fourth Quarter program was not.

During one day of conditioning, players were required to run 16 110-yard sprints. Players were all expected to meet certain time standards that were laid out before. Every time players missed their required time, false-started, or made some other error, they had another 110-yard sprint added on top of the initial 16.

“So the first day we ended up doing 36,” Anders said. “That was an eye-opener. We weren’t very mentally tough.”

Running 36 sprints at 110 yards each adds up to more than two miles of all-out running.

“I think that was the most that had ever been done in the history of mankind, seriously,” Wilson said.

Spring practice saw just as many changes. Wilson said there wasn’t much downtime between the end of the Fourth Quarter program and the start of spring.

The players struggled as soon as they hit the field.

“What I really remember with our first spring practice, we always start practice with a walkthrough,” former wide receivers coach Curt Cignetti said. “Our players, they were blown. They were gassed by period one or two. And I don’t know if it was anxiety or what, but it was just so different for them. … Maybe they were going too hard and just didn’t know the tempo.

It took those guys a while to kind of build up and get to the point where they could make it through practice.”

Winning the state The changes weren’t limited to the weight room or the practice field. Saban arrived to find a roster in need

of a rebuild. He needed to improve the current players, but also needed to find reinforcements in recruiting.

Work was spent on both in equal measure.

“The whole thing is built around ‘The Process,’” Cignetti said. “Just improving every day and improving the program as much as you can every day. It was very organized, structured. Half the day spent on recruiting, half the day spent on football. So the priority really was to improve the program in all areas, in all facets, to create the standards and expectations and change the culture and the mind-set.”

Culture needed to change around the state as well.

Alabama was losing recruiting battles in its own backyard. The Crimson Tide had just one of the top 10 players in the state committed for the 2007 class when Saban arrived. Two more, including linebacker Rolando McClain, would eventually sign, but Auburn signed four of the top 10 players. LSU signed two.

There was talent in Alabama, but it wasn’t ending up in Tuscaloosa.

Saban and his staff set their sights on the Mobile area. Mobile and Baldwin counties were stocked with talent in 2008 for Saban’s first full recruiting class.

Robert Lester, Mark Barron and Julio Jones were all coming out of Mobile-area schools at the time. Todd Watson was head coach at Foley High School, where Lester and Jones were teammates.

“He had some assistant coaches that made it a point: ‘We were told in no uncertain terms that this is an area we need to take back in recruiting,’” Watson said. “I think when you go back to when he was at LSU, he told people they were going to build a wall around the state of Louisiana and keep the in-state players in state. I think when he first got to Alabama, that was his goal.

To win the state first.”

Lance Thompson was one of Alabama’s primary recruiters in Mobile, but other assistants also helped bombard the area. Offensive coordinator Major Applewhite spent time there, as did Cignetti, who was also the recruiting coordinator.

There were plenty of prizes to be had in Mobile that year – Alabama signed eight players from the area in 2008 – but Jones was the biggest. He was the state’s best player and the best wide receiver in the country.

Foley felt the full force of Saban’s recruiting push.

Watson and the Lions used to host a high school jamboree each spring, inviting high-profile programs and top-ranked players to come play. The jamboree always drew attention, but it was different in 2007.

“That spring at our jamboree, Coach (Tommy) Tuberville was there from Auburn, Coach Saban, Coach (Urban) Meyer from Florida was there, all of them were there at the same time,” Watson said. “I do remember all of the hoopla and everything that surrounded those guys, and in particular (Saban) when he got there. Several police escorts, the big fanfare and everything was there. It was probably the largest attendance we ever had at our spring event because 11

Nick Saban and his wife, Terry, wave to fans during the Tuscaloosa championship celebration after the Crimson Tide won the 2012 BCS National Championship.

The parade and celebration was held on Jan. 19, 2013. File photo

people got word that he was coming.”

That was how Jones’ recruitment went for much of the year. Opposing players and fans often asked him for autographs after games. Watson said one opposing coach even asked for Jones’ signature.

Recruiters and media wanted to talk to Jones at all hours. He would sometimes turn his phone off to take a break. That led coaches and reporters to call Watson instead, engulfing him even in the middle of the season. Alabama fans contributed to the atmosphere.

“That spring game, I guess the word got to the Mobile chapter of the Red Elephant Club,” Watson said. “The day before or the day of the spring game, RVs started pulling in. We probably had 15 to 20 RVs on the campus where our stadium is. For a high school, that’s unheard of for a fall game, so much a spring jamboree. It just went to show the influence (Saban) was having right away.”

Results came right away, too. Alabama signed every one of the top five players in Alabama in 2008. The Crimson Tide signed the top seven in-state players in 2009. Saban had staked out his territory in the state.

The 2008 recruiting class was likely the most impactful of the Saban era. Julio Jones, Robert Lester and Mark Barron were joined by Mark Ingram, Barrett Jones, Dont’a Hightower, Courtney Upshaw, Marcell Dareus, Terrence Cody, Damion Square and Michael 12

Williams, among others. The roster changed from the moment they arrived.

“I think it was a huge class because, number one, it was a great class, and number two, we needed players,” Cignetti said. “The impact that class made was tremendous, because there were a lot of holes.”

It wasn’t just in Mobile. Buzz was building all around Alabama. Saban set a tone for the fan base as a whole from the moment he arrived. It wasn’t just about the players and the coaches, he said. Saban wanted to enlist fans, boosters, students and anyone else associated with the university.

“I think everybody should take the attitude that we’re working to be a champion. That we want to be a champion in everything we do,” he said at his introduction. “Every choice, every decision, everything that we do every day, we want to be a champion.

Everyone take ownership for what they need to do relative to their role, for whatever it is. If it’s being a fan or being a booster, be a good one. Any kind of supporter that you are for this team, everyone take ownership that we support each other so we can have the best possible football program that Alabama has ever had, and there have been some great ones.”

They answered the call immediately. BryantDennny Stadium was stuffed with 92,138 fans for that spring’s A-Day Game. The stadium had just

been expanded from a capacity of 81,018 for the 2006 season, and here it was filled for a scrimmage.

“It was really cool to watch, because the year before no one was there,” Wilson said. “That year so many people came around and were there and were buying in. It was pretty neat to be a part of.”

Saban still references the 2007 A-Day Game as a moment that gave the program momentum. Something was happening at Alabama that had never happened before.

“It was just … wow,” Cignetti said.

The Process of 2007 Players began to understand ‘The Process’ as well, bit by bit. Saban never laid out a goal or expectation centered on a specific result. He laid out expectations for work and attitude.

His new team was expected to work every day.

There weren’t any big-picture discussions about where the program was headed; it was just one day of work after another.

“We’re not going to talk about what we’re going to accomplish,” he said when he was named head coach.

“We’re going to talk about how we’re going to do it.”

Changes were coming from the Mike Shula era, but little changed about Saban. He built on what he had learned before. The staff didn’t make many changes once they were established in the program.

“He had been a head coach and won a national championship, so the blueprint was there,” Cignetti said. “You’re implementing your program in the first year, creating the standards and expectations that guys have to meet the bar in terms of workload, effort, attitude, play with energy, stuff like that. If they do, they’re going to improve and the program is going to improve. That’s really what that first year was all about.”

As is often the case during coaching transitions, every position was up for grabs. That was good news to players like Anders and Johnson, who had been backups in 2006. Johnson started spring practice as the second team left guard but would eventually be a captain and a three-year starter.

Wilson was a returning starter, but understood what was being asked. He didn’t look at it as “buying in.” To him, it was about understanding what needed to be done to be a champion. Saban had been there before and knew what it took.

Other players didn’t feel the same way.

“That season, I think there was lots of stubbornness from some of the upperclassmen who weren’t willing to deal,” Anders said. “I think it was a locker room issue more than it was a playbook issue. We knew Coach Saban was going to work (at Alabama). It was just a few of these older guys that were bitter and wouldn’t do it his way.”

The Crimson Tide was 5-2 when Tennessee arrived

in Tuscaloosa having won 10 of the last 12 games in the rivalry. It was the third Friday in October when things started to change.

Alabama had five players suspended the night before the game for improper receipt of textbooks.

That included running back Glen Coffee and starting offensive linemen Antoine Caldwell and Marlon Davis.

Alabama was caught off guard on Friday, but it was Tennessee that was surprised on Saturday.

Alabama won 41-17. Saban has still never lost to the Volunteers at UA. “To me, still one of the great coaching moves, was when we opened the game with the onside kick and got the ball,” Cignetti said. “Seized the momentum right away and really never lost it.”

Alabama lost the next four games, including disappointing defeats to Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State. The suspensions took a toll on the team. There was still a void of talent; no Alabama player was drafted after the season. Issues in the locker room may have also contributed.

“There weren’t really locker room guys, there were a lot more ‘me’ guys,” Johnson said. “I remember Coach Saban, he told everybody, ‘When I can replace you, I will.’ These guys that are being selfish and not being team players, he wasn’t going to hurt the team at the time by benching these players or kicking them off the team. But he said, ‘When I can recruit a player to replace you, I will. And it will happen. I promise you, you won’t be a part of this program if you want to be selfish.’”

That was part of what made the 2008 recruiting class so important. The players that arrived with that group had the talent and the opportunity to play right away. Saban was able to make changes immediately.

“The culture was changing,” Cignetti said. “But there were ups and downs in the first year. We got off to a pretty good start, had a tough loss against Georgia. Then the textbook thing hit and we hit a point there in the last part of the year where we had a couple tough losses because we were thin. Really thin. We had some walk-on guys starting. Then the tremendous recruiting class, and it all changed.”

Milestone moments Key milestones in 2007 happened away from the field. Saban’s arrival, the attendance at A-Day and victories in recruiting were some of the moments when things changed. From 2008 onward, the program’s greatest success took place on the field.

Alabama opened the season with an upset of Clemson in Atlanta. It beat No. 3 Georgia in Athens and broke a six-game losing streak to rival Auburn on the way to the SEC Championship Game.

“I think the turning point was after that 07 season,” Anders said. “His first recruiting class was in. That’s when everybody was like, ‘New coach, new players, 13

everybody’s job is available regardless of what you did the previous season.’”

The 12-0 start to 2008 might make it appear that Saban’s Process took hold overnight. In reality, it took time. The Process had started years before that, and it continues on today.

“It really was a slow build,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t like he came in and laid out some game plan of how everything was going to be, which is what you’d kind of expect. But it wasn’t like that.

It was almost like he wasn’t ready to give the game plan yet. The message he led off with was kind of, ‘All right, let’s get to work.’ It wasn’t, ‘This is what we’re going to do this day, this is what we’re going to do that day.’ It was like, ‘Hey, let’s show up and bust our butt.’”

Saban has all but erased the idea of a “rebuilding” year at Alabama, winning four of the last seven national championships. But the building had to start in 2007. Saban knew what had to be done.

Changes arrived with Nick Saban when he arrived on Jan. 4, 2007. But the biggest changes took time.

“You have to walk before you can run,” Wilson said. “You have to learn how to do all these things. It was just building everything to the point where it is today. Now those guys are in there and the seniors coach the young guys. Everybody is coaching themselves, they know how to act when they get there. Well, we were learning how to do that when we first got that. You had to build that foundation up. That’s what we were doing in the first year.”

Reach Ben Jones at ben@tidesports.com or 205-722-0196.

Nick Saban claps as Reggie Ragland (19) and Derrick Henry hoist the championship trophy from Alabama’s win against Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl during the National Championship Celebration held at Bryant-Denny Stadium to honor the Crimson Tide’s 16th national title on Saturday Jan. 23, 2016.

Staff photo/Erin Nelson

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Alabama head coach Nick Saban protests a call during the first half of the Alabama at Arkansas game in Fayetteville on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016. Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.

About coach saban Full name: Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. Born: Oct. 31, 1951, in Fairmont, West Virginia Wife: Terry (formerly Terry Constable) Children: Son, Nicholas, and daughter, Kristen High school: Played football, basketball and baseball at Monongah High School in West Virginia. As a quarterback and defensive back, led his team to an undefeated record and state championship as a senior in 1968.

College: Kent State, defensive back from 1969-72.

Earned master's degree in sports administration in 1975.

Assistant coaching positions: Kent State, graduate assistant (1973-74) and linebackers (1975-76); Syracuse, outside linebackers (1977); West Virginia, defensive backs (1978-79); Ohio State, defensive backs (1980-81); Navy, defensive backs (1982); Michigan State, defensive coordinator/defensive backs (1983-87); Houston Oilers, defensive backs (1988-89); Cleveland Browns, defensive coordinator (1991-94) Head coaching positions: Toledo (1990), Michigan State (1995-99), LSU (2000-04), Miami Dolphins (2005-06); Alabama (2007-present) Coaching awards: AP Coach of the Year (2003, 2008), Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year (2003, 2008), Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (2003), Home Depot Coach of the Year (2008), Walter Camp Coach of the Year (2008), Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year (2008), Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award (2009), Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year (2014), Sporting News Coach of the Year (2008); SEC Coach of the Year (2003, 2008, 2009)

Head coaching record, season by season: Toledo 1990; 9-2 Total; 9-2

Michigan State 1995; 6-5-1 1996; 6-6 1997; 7-5 1998; 6-6 1999; 9-2 Total; 34-21-1

LSU 2000; 8-4 2001; 10-3 2002; 8-5 2003; 13-1 2004; 9-3 Total; 48-16

Miami Dolphins 2005; 9-7 2006; 6-10 Total; 15-17

Alabama 2007; 7-6* 2008; 12-2 2009; 14-0 2010; 10-3 2011; 12-1 2012; 13-1 2013; 11-2 2014; 12-2 2015; 14-1 2016; 14-1 Total; 119-9* *Adjusted to 114-9 with five 2007 victories vacated by NCAA penalty

Overall record: NCAA; 210-61-1* NFL; 15-17 *Adjusted to 205-61-1 with five 2007 victories vacated by NCAA penalty

15

Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide have been White House regular visitors with four visits, all during the Barack Obama administration, after its 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015 national championships. This photo of Saban and President Obama was taken on the south lawn during the April 19, 2012 visit. File photo.

NICK SABAN FUN FACTS By terrin waack

1. Saban eats the exact same things for breakfast and lunch every day: two Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies in the morning and a turkey salad in the afternoon.

2. Saban is a lousy crime witness. He was once at the scene of a shotgun holdup robbery with Bob Stoops — the uncle and namesake of the current Oklahoma head coach — at a bar called The Talk of the Town in Youngstown, Ohio, and neither had any idea. They were too engrossed in chatting about football to notice. Saban was the Michigan State defensive coordinator at the time.

3. Saban is the commissioner of the Noontime Basketball League at Alabama. He plays with other UA staff members in Coleman Coliseum and admits to picking his own team so he has an edge. He also likes to be in control at point guard. The pick-up games normally start after recruiting wraps up.

4. Saban and his wife, former Terry Constable, first met at a science camp in junior high school. While Saban was playing football at Kent State, he wrote his sweetheart daily love letters as she stayed home to teach. They tied the knot on Dec. 18, 1971, and have been married now for 45 years.

5. Saban loves the Weather Channel. He watches it every day for just 15 minutes while eating breakfast.

He’s even OK with the fact that out of those 15 minutes, about eight are dedicated to commercials.

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6. Saban replaced Pete Carroll and Dom Capers replaced Saban, all at Ohio State. All are former defensive back coaches for the Buckeyes under former coach Earle Bruce, ranging from 1979-83. Carroll left after a season, Saban was fired after two seasons, and Capers was hired to replace him. Bruce fired all of his defensive assistants after a bad bowl performance against Navy.

7. Saban is best friends with U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, who is also a former governor of the state. The two grew up together. Their childhood homes in West Virginia were less than 10 miles apart.

8. Saban believes his kids were afraid of him growing up.

Many of his players have admitted that they are afraid of him, but Saban says his first granddaughter, Amelie, is not. She’s 3 years old.

9. Saban went to Monongah High School in West Virginia. He played football, basketball and baseball, earning first-team All-State honors in all three sports.

Playing quarterback and safety, he won a state title in 1968.

10. Saban’s birthday is on Halloween. This past year for his 65th, he said he received just one present: a joke device that utters an expletive when the button is pushed. He was told not to bring it home, even though he believes he might need it more there than at work.

TOP 10 SABAN QUOTES

BY TERRIN WAACK

Nick Saban is outspoken and often colorful. Here are the top 10 Saban quotes from his tenure at Alabama, with some of the harsher expletives deleted:

1. “And they ran through our ass like (crap) through a tin horn, man, and we could not stop them. Could not stop them.”

– Saban referenced a tougher-than-expected 2011 victory over Georgia Southern before last season’s victory over Charleston Southern, another Football Bowl Subdivision team

2. “So I want everybody to think here for a second.

How much does this game mean to you? ‘Cause it if means something to you, you can’t stand still. You understand? You play fast. You play strong. You go out there and dominate the man you’re playing against and you make his ass quit. That’s our trademark.

That’s our M.O. as a team. That’s what people know us as.”

– Saban’s pregame speech to the team before a 2008 victory at LSU was captured on videotape and replayed often

3. “I want everybody here to know, this is not the end.

This is the beginning.”

– Saban was prophetic at the celebration event after Alabama won the 2009 national championship

4. “Mediocre people hate high achievers, and high achievers hate mediocre people.”

– This quote from an appearance on the CBS show “60 Minutes” summed up a lot about Saban and some of his top players

5. “If it was up to you, we’re six-foot under already.

We’re dead and buried and gone. Gone. So, if that was the case, we’d have to get some respirators out or

something down there to put life back in people.”

– Saban after Alabama’s 2015 victory over Georgia after talk from some pundits tha UA’s dynasty was over following a loss two weeks earlier to Ole Miss

6. “There were no arguments. Those are called ass-chewings.”

– Saban’s description of his shouting at offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin during a victory over Western Kentucky this season

7. “Settle the (heck) down.”

– Saban to AJ McCarron when the quarterback got too hyped up during a 2011 game at Florida

8. “We’re not going to talk about what we’re going to accomplish. We’re going to talk about how we’re going to do it.”

– Saban talking about his process during his introductory press conference in 2006

9. “We kind of have a younger generation now that doesn’t always get told no. They don’t always get told, ‘This is exactly how you need to do it.’ So, they have this illusion they have all these choices. But the fact of the matter is, if you want to be good, you really don’t have a lot of choices because it takes what it takes.”

– Saban in 2015 after three former UA players were arrested

10. “Changes in history usually occur after some kind of catastrophic event. It may be 9/11, which sort of changed the spirit of American relative to catastrophic events. Pearl Harbor kind of got us ready for World War II, and that was a catastrophic event.”

– Saban evoked images of major tragedies after a 2007 loss to Louisiana-Monroe, briefly creating a controversy over his comparisons

Alabama head coach Nick Saban speaks during the Crimson Tide’s National Championship Celebration on the steps of Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa on Saturday Jan. 23, 2016. STAFF PHOTO/ERIN NELSON

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NICK SABAN’S top 10 players AT ALABAMA

By TOMMY DEAS Here are the top 10 players of the Nick Saban era at Alabama, as voted by the staff of The Tuscaloosa News: 1. Julio Jones Wide receiver, 2008-10 By the numbers: 2,653 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns on 179 receptions In six words: Impact player who instantly transformed program

2. Derrick Henry Running back, 2013-15 By the numbers: 3,591 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns on 602 carries In six words: Bruising, explosive Heisman winner bulldozed defenses

3. Amari Cooper Wide receiver, 2012-14 By the numbers: 3,463 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns on 228 receptions In six words: Electric performer was a true game-breaker

4. Rolando McClain Linebacker, 2007-09 By the numbers: 274 career tackles, 31.5 for loss, with eight sacks and five interceptions In six words: Defensive enforcer with a nasty attitude

5. AJ McCarron Quarterback, 2010-13 By the numbers: Completed 686 of 1,026 pass attempts for 9,019 yards and 77 touchdowns with 15 interceptions In six words: Two national titles define his legacy

6. Jonathan Allen Defensive lineman, 2013-16 By the numbers: Has 27.5 career sacks, second all-time at Alabama to Derrick Thomas, with 29 career tackles for loss and 35 quarterback hurries In six words: Beastly performer dominates in the trenches

7. Mark Ingram Running back, 2008-10 By the numbers: 3,261 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns on 572 carries In six words: Relentless Heisman winner took over games

8. Barrett Jones Offensive lineman, 2009-12 By the numbers: 50 career starts playing three different positions – center, left tackle and right guard In six words: Versatile and intelligent, born to block

9. C.J. Mosley Linebacker, 2010-13 By the numbers: 376 career tackles, 23 for loss, with 6.5 sacks and seven interceptions, five defensive touchdowns In six words: Instinctive, physical athlete with leadership qualities

10. Marcell Dareus Defensive lineman, 2008-10 By the numbers: 66 career tackles, 20 for loss, with 11 sacks and one interception In six words: Disrupted offenses using speed and power

Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones carries the ball against South Carolina on Saturday Oct, 9, 2010 in Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia South Carolina.

File photo

Derrick Henry strikes the Heisman pose after scoring the touchdown to seal Alabama’s 45-40 victory over Clemson in the College Football National Championship Game in 2016. Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.

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Top 10 victories u n d e r

N i c k

S a b a n

Alabama running back Mark Ingram carries the ball in the second quarter against Florida in the 2009 SEC Championship Game in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome on Dec 5, 2009. Alabama won, 32-13. File photo.

C

By Aaron Suttles hampionships are won one game at a time, and Nick Saban has won a lot of key games in his decade at Alabama. Here are Saban’s top 10 victories as ranked by sports department staff of The Tuscaloosa News.

1. Alabama 32, Florida 13 Dec. 5, 2009 What made it great: After falling short in the SEC Championship Game against the Gators in Nick Saban’s second season in Tuscaloosa, Alabama made it a mission to make it back. For the second straight season, the top two teams in the nation squared off, this time Florida, as defending national champion, at No. 1, and Alabama at No. 2. Alabama dominated from the start and never let up, winning the Crimson Tide’s first SEC title since 1999 and sending the team into the BCS national championship

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game against Texas.

2. Alabama 32, Georgia 28 Dec. 1, 2012 What made it great: Many observers still describe it as the de facto national championship game that season. Both teams put on a game for the ages that went down to the final play. The Bulldogs appeared to be in good shape when they went up 11 points in the third quarter, but Alabama wrestled back with the power running game behind Eddie Lacy, T.J. Yeldon and a dominant offensive line. AJ McCarron’s 45-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper put the team back in front, but Georgia made it nerve-racking for UA fans when it drove down to the Crimson Tide 5-yard line with time for one play. C.J. Mosley tipped Aaron Murray’s pass at the line and time ran out, ending the game.

3. ALABAMA 45, CLEMSON 40 Jan. 11, 2016 What made it great: Alabama faced a fourth-quarter deficit, Nick Saban pulled off one of the gutsiest onside kicks of all time and O.J. Howard became a household name. Howard’s five receptions for 208 yards and two touchdowns stands out, but special teams turned the game. After Adam Griffith’s field goal tied the score in the fourth quarter, Saban called for a onside kick that worked to perfection. Later, Kenyan Drake returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. Derrick Henry punched in a 1-yard touchdown that sealed the game.

4. ALABAMA 41, GEORGIA 30 Sept. 27, 2008 What made it great: It was an Alabama program on the rise to be sure, but no one saw what was to come in Sanford Stadium that night as Georgia’s blackout backfired. Led by John Parker Wilson, Glen Coffee, Julio Jones and a dominant first-half defense, the Crimson Tide raced out to a 31-0 halftime lead. Georgia made it interesting with 30 points in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Alabama from getting its biggest win of the Nick Saban era at the time. UA running backs totaled four rushing touchdowns and Jones grabbed five passes for 94 yards and a memorable over-the-shoulder touchdown catch.

5. ALABAMA 34, CLEMSON 10 Aug. 30, 2008 What made it great: This game announced that Alabama was no longer the type of program that would go 7-6, the record it finished with the season before.

Nick Saban’s stated mission of playing physical was on full display as Alabama took command from the onset. Alabama dominated total yardage, outgaining Clemson 419-188. Clemson gained no yards on the ground. It also announced the arrival of future Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, who had a game-high 96 yards rushing.

6. ALABAMA 21, LSU 0 Jan. 9, 2012 What made it great: It was the rematch that launched the College Football Playoff. Alabama’s 9-6 overtime loss to LSU in November left the team with a sick feeling in its stomach. Alabama players and coaches felt they’d given the game away with poor special teams play. But it was special teams that helped win the rematch for the national championship. Jeremy Shelley was perfect and made all five of his field goal attempts to stake the team to a 15-0 lead. Trent Richardson’s fourth-quarter, 34-yard touchdown run — the first touchdown allowed in eight quarters and change between the two teams — sealed the win and Saban’s second national title at Alabama.

7. ALABAMA 42, NOTRE DAME 14 Jan. 7, 2013 What made it great: To a certain cross-section of the Alabama fan base, Notre Dame is a dirty word. The Fighting Irish was a thorn in the side of the Crimson Tide in the 1970s, and payback was sweet in South Florida. Alabama scored on its first offensive possession and it was obvious from the start that Notre Dame couldn’t match the Crimson Tide’s aggressiveness and physicality. Perhaps Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said it best in his halftime television interview when he was asked what adjustments he could make: “It’s all Alabama.”

8. ALABAMA 37, TEXAS 21 Jan. 7, 2010 What made it great: It’s hard to downplay what this game meant to the history of the program. It represented the first national championship since 1992, the first ever win against Texas and a return to the Rose Bowl, where Alabama first earned national recognition back in the 1920s. The game swung in favor of the Crimson Tide after Marcell Dareus knocked Texas quarterback Colt McCoy from the game. Later he intercepted a pass and ran it back for a touchdown.

Eryk Anders sealed the win with a blindside sack that resulted in a turnover. After 17 seasons, Alabama was back on top.

9. ALABAMA 12, TENNESSEE 10 Oct. 24, 2009 What made it great: The exultation of winning a game as time expires is something Alabama fans haven’t had much experience with in the Saban era, but this time it happened. After a series of miscues in the final few minutes, including Mark Ingram’s first career fumble, allowing a touchdown and Tennessee’s recovery of an onside kick, Tennessee had the ball with a chance to win with just four seconds remaining. Kicker Daniel Lincoln lined up for a 44-yarder, but Alabama defensive lineman Terrence Cody blocked his second kick of the game to preserve Alabama’s unbeaten season.

10. ALABAMA 36, AUBURN 0 Nov. 29, 2008 What made it great: Auburn came in riding a six-game winning streak in the series. Former running back Siran Stacy was an honorary captain and added to the emotion when he sprinted down the sideline, firing the crowd up in the pregame. Glen Coffee broke through with a 41-yard touchdown run down the right sideline in the second quarter and the rout was on. With a light mist hanging over the stadium, Alabama fans didn’t leave following the game, reveling in the Million Dollar Band’s playing “Rammer Jammer” multiple times.

Here’s how Nick Saban’s Alabama teams stack up when ranked against each other by the sports department staff of The Tuscaloosa News: 1. 2009

Overall record: 14-0 SEC record: 8-0 Championships: SEC West, SEC, BCS National Championship In six words: Third season’s the charm, Alabama’s back

2. 2011

Overall record: 12-1 SEC record: 7-1 Championships: BCS National Championship In six words: Not perfect, but revenge is sweet

3. 2012

Overall record: 13-1 SEC record: 7-1 Championships: SEC West, SEC, BCS National Championship In six words: So good the finish got boring

4. 2015

Overall record: 14-1 SEC record: 7-1 Championships: SEC West, SEC, CFP National Championship In six words: New championship format, same championship team

5. 2016

Overall record: 14-1 SEC record: 8-0 Championships: SEC West, SEC In six words: Elite team fell one play short

6. 2014

Overall record: 12-2 SEC record: 7-1 Championships: SEC West, SEC In six words: Overcame goalposts, not Sugar Bowl curse

7. 2013

Overall record: 11-2 SEC record: 7-1 Championships: None In six words: Unforgettable Iron Bowl spoils great season

8. 2008

Overall record: 12-2 SEC record: 8-0 Championships: SEC West In six words: Huge improvements result in bittersweet ending

9. 2010

Overall record: 10-3 SEC record: 5-3 Championships: none In six words: Too talented to underachieve this much 10. 2007 Overall record: 7-6 SEC record: 4-4 Championships: none In six words: The Process is not established overnight — Tyler Waldrep

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Alabama defensive lineman Terrence Cody (62) blocks a field goal attempt

by Tennessee kicker Daniel Lincoln (26) in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, preserving Alabama’s 12-10 victory against Tennessee at BryantDenny Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009. File photo

Top 10 PLAYS

I N

T

T H E

here would be no national championship trophies, no parades and no era of dominance under Nick Saban at the University of Alabama without big plays in key moments of important games.

Here are the top 10 plays for the Crimson Tide in Saban’s 10-year tenure as voted by the sports department staff of The Tuscaloosa News:

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N i c k

S a b a n

E R A

By TOMMY DEAS 1. Game: Alabama vs. Texas When: Jan. 8, 2010 Where: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.

The situation: Texas trails 17-6 in the Bowl Championship Series national title game with 15 seconds to go in the first half, facing second-and-one at its own 37-yard line.

The play: The Longhorns try a pop pass to the running back up the middle. Alabama’s defensive line caves the play in and the ball is bobbled into the air. Marcell Dareus, who earlier had knocked Texas starting quarterback Colt McCoy out of the game, plucks it from the air, executes a stiff-arm and a

big-man spin move and rumbles 28 yards for an interception-return touchdown.

The outcome: Alabama wins 37-21 to capture the first national championship of the Saban era.

2. Game: Alabama vs. Clemson When: Jan. 11, 2016 Where: University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

The situation: Alabama had just tied the College Football Championship Game at 24 on a field goal by Adam Griffith with 10:34 remaining in the game.

The play: Saban opted for a surprise onside kick. Griffith popped the ball on a short arc to the right and Marlon Humphrey ran under to catch it like a receiver to give Alabama possession and momentum.

The outcome: Two plays later, Jake Coker hit tight end O.J. Howard for a 51-yard touchdown pass and Alabama went on to win, 45-40, for Saban’s fourth national title at UA.

3. Game: Alabama vs. Tennessee When: Oct. 24, 2009 Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium The situation: Alabama was barely hanging on, up two points against the Volunteers with Daniel Lincoln lined up for a 44-yard field goal attempt to win it with just four seconds on the clock.

The play: Never fear, Terrence Cody is here.

Alabama’s monstrous defensive lineman crashed through the protection and blocked the kick with his left hand, his second block of the game, to preserve the victory.

The outcome: Alabama continued its undefeated march to the first national title of the Saban era.

4. Game: Alabama vs. LSU When: Nov. 4, 2012 Where: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, La. The situation: Top-ranked Alabama trailed fifth-ranked LSU 17-14 with exactly one minute to go facing second-and-10 at the LSU 28-yard line.

The play: LSU blitzed defensive back Jalen Mills, who ran past running back T.J. Yeldon and drew a bead on Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron. Turned out it was a trap. Yeldon let the blitzes get by and slipped behind him to catch a screen pass on the left side, then ran past three would-be tacklers as he scampered to the end zone.

The outcome: Alabama won 21-17, passing a major hurdle on the way to winning back-toback national titles.

5. Game: Alabama vs. Florida When: Dec. 6, 2009 Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta The situation: Florida had just cut Alabama’s lead to 12-10 on a Tim Tebow-led drive late in the first half and had momentum in its favor in this No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup for the SEC title.

The play: On the very next snap after UF’s touchdown, Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy swung a short pass to Mark Ingram, who rambled 69 yards to the Florida 3-yard

line.

The outcome: Ingram scored on a short run on the next play with 3:32 to go in the half.

Florida drove back to answer with a field goal, but Alabama didn’t give up another point on the way to a 32-13 victory for the SEC title.

Alabama then beat Texas for the national championship.

6. Game: Alabama vs. Georgia When: Dec. 1, 2012 Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta The situation: Alabama trailed Georgia 28-25 with 3:30 remaining at the Dawgs’ 45-yard line. The Crimson Tide had begun to wear down the Bulldogs by pounding away with the running game.

The play: That physical running game set up the big play that gave UA the points it needed to win. AJ McCarron, operating under center, faked a handoff to TJ Yeldon and the Georgia defense bit. Safety Bacarri Rambo was drawn out of position, leaving speedy wideout Amari Cooper one-on-one with cornerback Damian Swann. McCarron let fly and Cooper pulled away to haul in a 45-yard touchdown pass.

The outcome: That touchdown put Alabama ahead and the UA defense just held on in the final moments for a 32-28 victory that propelled the Crimson Tide to the national championship game, where it beat Notre Dame.

7, Game: Alabama vs. Auburn When: Nov. 27, 2009 Where: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn The situation: Alabama had struggled throughout the game, and took over at its own 21-yard line with 7:03 to go, trailing by a point. The Crimson Tide drove 79 yards in 15 plays, capping the march with the game-winner.

The play: Facing third-and-three at the AU 4, Alabama put in its jumbo package, with massive nose tackle Terrence Cody lined up at fullback. Turned out he was a decoy, as Alabama faked the run and Greg McElroy threw to a wide-open Roy Upchurch for the score with 1:24 to go.

The outcome: Alabama won 26-20 and advanced undefeated to the SEC Championship Game.

8. Game: Alabama vs. LSU When: Nov. 5, 2016 Where: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, La. The situation: In a scoreless game with just

over 13 minutes to go, Alabama faced thirdand-nine at the LSU 21-yard line.

The play: Freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts rolled right and moved toward the line on a pass-run option play. Running back Bo Scarbrough provided a seal block and Hurts turned upfield and then cut back toward the middle as he accelerated to the end zone.

The outcome: Hurts’ run provided the game’s only touchdown as No. 1 Alabama shut out the 13th-ranked Tigers on the way to an undefeated regular season.

9. Game: Alabama vs. Florida When: Sept. 20, 2014 Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium The situation: It was Alabama’s first snap from scrimmage, a minute into the game with no score. Alabama has first-and-10 at its own 17-yard line.

The play: UA’s new offensive coordinator, Lane Kiffin, lines fleet running back Kenyan Drake out wide to the right and Florida tries to cover him with a linebacker. Quarterback Blake Sims throws deep and Drake gets an easy 87-yard touchdown reception.

The outcome: Third-ranked Alabama won 42-21 in a game that truly introduced the Kiffin era of Crimson Tide offense. Sims passed for 445 yards and four touchdowns and Cooper had more than 200 receiving yards. Kiffin dialed up the matchup he wanted on the first play of the game and signaled a touchdown before the ball was in the air.

10. Game: Alabama vs. LSU When: Nov. 8, 2009 Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium The situation: No. 3 Alabama trailed ninthranked LSU 15-13 with 10:37 to go in the game, facing first-and-10 at its own 27-yard line.

The play: Quarterback Greg McElroy, in the pistol formation, faked a handoff to Trent Richardson, who ran toward the right side of the line. McElroy turned and threw a sharp screen pass to Julio Jones, who had three offensive linemen moving in front of him on the left side. Jones got key blocks from James Carpenter and center William Vlachos to sprint down the left sideline for a 73-yard score.

The outcome: Richardson tacked on a twopoint conversion run and Leigh Tiffin later added a field goal as Alabama went on to win, 24-13.

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Nick Saban’s

TOP 10 RECRUITING WINS

A

labama’s football dynasty under Nick Saban has been built on recruiting, with the Crimson Tide landing a series of No. 1-ranked signing classes. Here is a look at the top 10 recruiting battles Alabama has won since Saban’s arrival a decade ago. Not all became all-time greats, but they were important recruiting wins when they chose Alabama:

commitment at the Under Armour All-America game despite his mother’s memorable dissatisfaction of his choice. Collins was an All-American and was selected in the second round of the NFL draft.

By ANDREW BONE

in the Saban erahe won the Bronko Nagurski and Chuck Badnarik Awards as a senior and was also awarded the SEC Defensive Player of the Year by The Associated Press and SEC coaches.

5. Trent Richardson Recruiting Class: 2009 Why it mattered: Richardson gave an early commitment to Alabama. He quickly estab1. Julio Jones lished himself as one of the Recruiting Class: 2008 best running back prospects Why it mattered: Saban’s first full year on the in the country. He played recruiting trail would not have been considat Escambia High School ered a success for those who lived in Alabama in Pensacola, Fla., home of if he did not sign the No. 1 player, Julio Jones. former Florida and NFL star Alabama had been missing a dominant player Emmitt Smith. Richardson at the position. Landing Jones set a tone by getting the best players to start believing in the gave Alabama a scare in the end with the possibility of program.

Julio Jones puts on an Alabama cap as he officially flipping to LSU, but stuck with his announces his decision to sign with the Crimson Tide during a press conference on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008 at commitment.

2. Derrick Henry Foley High School on National Signing Day. Recruiting Class: 2013 The Associated Press 6. Rashaan Evans Why it mattered: Before becoming Alabama’s Recruiting Class: 2014 all-time leader in career and single-season 9. T.J. Yeldon rushing yards, Henry originally committed to Why it mattered: Surely Alabama could not Recruiting Class: 2012 go into Auburn for the second consecutive Georgia. He flipped to Alabama and won the Why it mattered: Recruiting flips were not as school’s second Heisman Trophy after rushing year and steal one of the best linebackers in common five or six years ago as they are today. the country, especially one who was also an for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns his junior Auburn legacy. Evans shocked the country on Yeldon continued to say he was 100 percent season, both SEC records. He also won the Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp Award and signing day by announcing his commitment to with his commitment to Auburn, but on Sunday right prior to the dead period in midAlabama.

Maxwell Award.

December he released a statement saying he would sign with Alabama. A lot of people were 7. Amari Cooper 3. Reuben Foster anticipating a flip, but it was a monumental Recruiting Class: 2012 Recruiting Class: 2013 one for Alabama taking one of the best overall Why it mattered: Alabama finally broke into Why it mattered: Foster grew up an Alabama players in the country away from the in-state fan and committed early. He flipped to Auburn south Florida to land one of the nation’s best recruits. UA was able to snag five-star wideout rival. in the summer before his senior season. He Calvin Ridley a few years later, with Cooper decommitted from Auburn and committed 10. Cyrus Kouandjio paving the way. He won a pair of national back to Alabama after AU coach Gene Chizik championships, was a Heisman Trophy final- Recruiting Class: 2011 was fired. Foster was a heat-seeking missile Why it mattered: Alabama coaches and fans ist and won the Biletnikoff Award in 2014. on special teams his first two years before will have a hard time forgetting when Kouanbecoming an impact player as a junior. He won djio announced his commitment to Auburn 8. Jonathan Allen the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s best on signing day on ESPN, a shocking moment Recruiting Class: 2013 player at the position in 2016. considering his older brother, Arie, had signed Why it mattered: Allen wanted to play in the SEC and Florida was a serious contender prior with Alabama in 2010. Kouandjio was con4. Landon Collins sidered a lock to Alabama from the start of his to his commitment to Alabama. Allen helped Recruiting Class: 2012 recruitment. His family discussed his future establish Alabama as a recruiting power in Why it mattered: Alabama recruited aggresover the next few days, and Kouandjio signed the Washington, D.C./Maryland/Virginia sively in Louisiana when Saban first arrived corridor. Arguably the best defensive lineman with Alabama and became an All-American. in Tuscaloosa. Collins announced his 25

Florida coach Urban Meyer got the best of Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game in 2008. The Gators scored 14 fourth-quarter points and defeated No. 1 Alabama, 31-20, handing the Crimson Tide its first loss of the season. Florida went on to win the national title game. The Associated Press

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Top VILLAINS

OF THE Nick Saban ERA

By CECIL HURT

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or any story to be riveting, two elements are required: a protagonist and an antagonist. What’s more, the antagonist has to be interesting: either equally powerful or at least representative of a meaningful, if opposite, point of view.

Heroes who simply beat up on weaker opponents all the time might be servicing the greater good, but would you rather see Batman foiling the occasional convenience store robbery? Of course not. You want to see him trading wisecracks and punches with the Joker. All great stories are the same: Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader, Seinfeld vs.

Newman, all the way back to the beginning where Adam and Eve got tricked by the pesky serpent.

Now, one person’s hero can be another person’s villain. For Alabama fans, the hero of the past decade is Nick Saban. Ask a loyal fan of any other SEC school who the biggest villain is, and you’ll get the same answer: Nick Saban.

Second, this is college football, not global war. Anyone who makes this particular “villain” list is on the list because of football, which is supposed to be fun. No one is making any moral judgments. Tim Tebow, for instance, is one of the nicest, most genuine individuals I’ve ever met. But in a certain way, that made him all the more irksome as a football opponent to Alabama fans in 2008. In fact, someone can be a villain at one point – Tennessee Lane Kiffin – and a hero, or at least the hero’s sidekick, at another.

But with that said, here are the top 10 villains of the Saban Era. Kudos to all of them, because they made things far more interesting.

1. The Kick Six In terms of sheer disappointment, the only moment that rivals Alabama’s 2013 loss at Auburn was the 1973 Sugar Bowl defeat against Notre Dame. Both losses resulted in great Crimson Tide teams failing, when favored, to grasp history and instead losing to fierce rivals. That loss to the Irish, however, never boiled down to a series of final-minute (and last-second) plays, any one of which would have reversed the outcome had it gone the other way. Had one more second elapsed, the kick and return would never have happened. (What would have happened in overtime can be debated, but never decided.) On top of all that, it gave all other fans – Auburn fans, especially, but everyone – their greatest chance to say. “See, Saban isn’t perfect after all!”

If you don’t think it still rankles Alabama fans, watch their reaction every time Gary Danielson mentions it on the air.

There is no telling how many subsequent wins over Auburn it will take to erase the sting, although Saban does seem well on the way to finding out.

2. The HUNH “Is this what we want football to be?” That famous Saban quote still resonates, although history has shown that it was the quality of the quarterback as much as the shiftiness of the hurry-up, no-huddle scheme that gave Alabama (and all defenses) such trouble.

What people now realize, though, is that Saban wasn’t just going to sit around and complain. He appropriated what he liked about the offense and, at the same time, recruited the kind of defensive players that could stop it, or at least slow it down. This was the perfect example of how a negative can ultimately be a positive, if you learn from it.

3. Urban Meyer/Jim Harbaugh Let’s look at it this way. If Saban is No. 1 among today’s college coaches, Meyer is 1A. They’ve battled on equal terms for the most part, on the largest stages, although Meyer has the most recent big win. As for Harbaugh, think of it this way in the hero/villain world: Saban is Dorothy, Meyer is the Wicked Witch of the Midwest and Harbaugh is one of the winged monkeys, jumping up and down and saying “Satellite camps! Satellite camps!”

I’m sure that he received lovely College Football Playoff postcards from both Saban and Meyer this year – and Dabo, too!

4. Cam Newton More talented than Tebow, more enigmatic than Manziel and, far worse for Alabama fans, a perfect 1-0 against the Crimson Tide as an Auburn starter. It’s not just Alabama fans who find Newton polarizing, but there’s a reason that every Crimson Tide fan worth his shaker was pulling for Denver (and Peyton Manning!) in last year’s Super Bowl.

5. Danny Kannell Danny is actually a pretty good guy, but of all the many media types that get under the skin of Alabama fans, he seems to be the most adroit at pressing the right buttons, as well as bouncing back when Alabama, as it often does, proves him wrong. So we’ll use Danny as the representative for all the shock-jock, Alabama-weary “analysts” out there, ranging from Colin Cowherd to, well, supply your own name (I get in too much trouble as it is).

As an aside, I don’t think that Saban himself pays much attention to the naysayers, saving his main media missiles for the reporters he sees every day (and are therefore the likeliest

In this Nov. 10, 2012 file photo, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) celebrates against No. 1 Alabama on No. 10, 2012. The Associated Press

to know that he’s talking to his team in 99 percent of his rants).

6. Hugh Freeze Leaving recruiting out of this, he has the last two SEC wins by anyone against Alabama (and made it uncomfortably close to No. 3) with no semblance of a running game and what (from an Alabama perspective) was an inordinate amount of good luck. Personally, I say give credit where it’s due, and Freeze is due more than any coach left in the league.

7. The Sugar Bowl/Les Miles/LSU fans Instead of trying to separate all these diverse elements, I did what any good Louisiana chef would do and dumped them all into the same pot, letting the fact that Saban came from LSU serve as a spicy flavor enhancer. It’s irony that about the only 0-fer of the Saban Era is the Sugar Bowl. (The BCS win over LSU in the Superdome was not, technically, a Sugar Bowl game.) The Utah and Oklahoma losses might have been the disheartened efforts of Crimson Tide teams that had missed out on loftier goals, but the Ohio State defeat proved decisively that some leftover New Orleans voodoo is at work. Miles was so endearingly goofy that it was hard to think of him as an enemy, even though he won his share of games against Saban early on. As for the LSU fans, think of it this way –they once hung Saban in effigy, and that was before they were nearly as frustrated as they are now.

8. Tennessee Lane Kiffin Kiffin was only at UT for one year, but was as annoying as most coaches could be in five. And he’d have been a lot more annoying if Terrence Cody hadn’t blocked a field goal. He’s mainly here to show the thin line between love and hate, though, as he has

subsequently helped Alabama win games at unprecedented levels, so he’s done a full Severus Snape heel-to-hero turn. But Kiffin is entirely capable of winning a bunch of games at Florida Atlantic, taking over at LSU when Ed Orgeron floats away down the bayou and – guess what? – he’s a villain all over again.

9. Johnny Manziel The anti-Tebow. Brash, arrogant, loud; but when he was good, he was very, very good.

The two games he played for Texas A&M against Alabama were everything that Saban has grumbled about for years – high-scoring and unpredictable. As with Tebow, Alabama had the final word or the ill feelings wouldn’t have turned into a sort of grudging respect.

And I imagine Johnny’s only complaint about being on the Villain List is that he didn’t rank higher.

10. Tim Tebow An outstanding football player and a better human being, but lots of Alabama fans took a guilty pleasure in his sideline emotions after the 2009 SEC Championship Game.

(Even those tears, though, were a genuine reflection of a fierce competitor, as sad for his teammates and his school and for himself.) Partly that was because Tebow had everything that Alabama fans wanted for their team – a national championship, a Heisman Trophy – made all the worse because he was sort of the last great hope for the Mike Shula Era. Shula’s prolonged recruiting campout at the Tebow house (it continues to grow with time, from eight hours to 12 and will eventually reach 40 days and 40 nights in legend) was somehow symbolic of Alabama coming in second, which was exactly what Nick Saban was brought in to change.

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Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart was Alabama’s defensive coordinator from 20082015. Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.

Nick Saban’s

top 10 hires at Alabama

A

head coach is only as good as his assistants, and Nick Saba has made a number of key staff acquisitions in his tenure at Alabama.

Here is a look at Saban’s top 10 hires at UA:

1. Lane Kiffin Offensive coordinator (2014-16) What he’s known for: Throwing his hands up to signal a touchdown in the middle of a play Why he was a great hire: During his time as the offensive coordinator, he rewrote the program’s offensive record book. He produced a Heisman Trophy winner (Derrick Henry) and a Heisman Trophy finalist (Amari Cooper).

30

By Aaron Suttles 2. Scott Cochran Strength and Conditioning(2007-current) What he’s known for: Yelling “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah” Why he was a great hire: What makes Alabama’s program consistently great is its recruiting efforts and the development of those players. Cochran is part of the development aspect. He helps make the players bigger and stronger while keeping their functional movement. There’s a reason is one of the highest-paid strength coaches in the country. His results speak for themselves.

3. Kirby Smart Defensive coordinator (2008-2015) Defensive backs (2007)

What he’s known for: Frantically signaling in defenses while being pulled back to the sideline by Cochran.

Why he was a great hire: For nine years, Smart worked alongside Saban, learning the ins and outs and the intricacies of the defense. Part of what made Alabama’s defense so consistently great year-in and year-out was that continuity. Smart’s eight years as defensive coordinator produced superior units every year.

4. Burton Burns Running backs (2007-current) What he’s known for: Producing Alabama’s first two Heisman Trophy winners Why he was a great hire: Burns can be a harsh taskmaster, but he’s also a sincere

person. Those qualities earn loyalty from his players. They play hard for him. His style has produced eight NFL running backs during his time in Tuscaloosa. His running backs get better each season.

5. Jeremy Pruitt Defensive coordinator (2016) Defensive backs (2010-12) Director of player development (2007-09) What he’s known for: Being aggressive and applying lots of pressure Why he was a great hire: His way of coaching puts his players at ease. His experience and understanding under Saban made him the only phone call Saban made when replacing Smart. His philosophy of aggressive defense hasn’t seen a fall-off at all from the Smart era. In fact, his rush defense is better than last year’s.

6. Jim McElwain Offensive coordinator (2008-11) What he’s known for: His self-deprecating sense of humor Why he was a great hire: McElwain is most known for developing Alabama quarterbacks Greg McElroy and AJ McCarron. He also

knew Alabama’s pro-style offense was fueled by its power rushing attack and called games with that knowledge.

7. Tosh Lupoi Outside linebackers (2015-current) Defensive analyst (2014) What he’s known for: Making the outside linebackers a pass-rushing force Why he was a great hire: Lupoi is one of the best recruiters on the staff, and he couples that with a coaching style that produces results. In his two years as an on-the-field coach, Alabama’s sack numbers have totaled 97. Tim Williams and Ryan Anderson have particularly bloomed under his coaching.

8. Mario Cristobal Offensive line (tackles)/Tight end (2016) Offensive line (2013-15) What he’s known for: Being one of the best recruiters in the country Why he was a great hire: Cristobal is a players coach. He’s also one of the best recruiters around. As offensive line coach, his group won the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s best offensive line in 2015. This year, left tackle Cam Robinson won the Outland Trophy.

9. Amy Bragg Nutritionist (2010-current) What she’s known for: Overseeing the team’s nutritional needs, allowing players to see the gains/losses they need Why she was a great hire: Quite literally, Bragg sets the table, allowing the studentathletes to properly fuel themselves. Most of the time that involves taking a teenager and adding weight, something not exactly easy to do with a high metabolic rate.

10. Ed Marynowitz Director of player personnel (2008-11) Associate athletics director for football (2016) What he’s known for: Being a meticulous organizer who helped put Alabama’s recruiting efforts at the top Why he was a great hire: During his time as the director of player personnel, he oversaw recruiting efforts that brought in the players that built the Alabama dynasty.

His talents led him to the front offices of the Philadelphia Eagles as essentially a general manager. Now he’s back to help the Crimson Tide reel in another star-studded recruiting class.

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Nick Saban’s

Championship Season Capsules

Tommy Deas

2009

Overall record: 14-0 Conference record: 8-0 Path to the championship: Alabama

had established itself the year before but lost its final two games. A 10-point win over Virginia Tech was a nice start, but didn’t signal what was to come: Alabama didn’t have anything resembling a close game until it met Tennessee in October, and cruised into the Iron Bowl undefeated. UA came from behind to beat Auburn and closed out in dominant fashion to run the table with a perfect record.

Bump in the road: Alabama survived Tennessee when Terrence Cody blocked a field goal attempt as time expired Cody’s second blocked field goal of the game - to preserve a two-point victory.

Biggest win along the way:

Alabama put together a drive for the ages to come from behind for victory at Auburn, driving more than seven minutes to cover 79 yards on 15 plays, capped by Greg McElroy’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Roy Upchurch for the 26-21 victory.

Championship game: The Crimson Tide knocked Texas quarterback Colt McCoy out of the game early, built a big lead, weathered a Longhorn rally and grounded out an historic 37-21 victory at the Rose Bowl. UA’s defense produced five turnovers.

Key stat: Alabama’s 24 interceptions ranked second nationally. Mark Barron had seven to lead UA.

Tennessee W 12-10 W 24-15 LSU at Mississippi State W 31-3 Chattanooga W 45-0 W 26-21 at Auburn Florida+ W 32-13 Texas# W 37-21 *Atlanta +SEC Championship Game, Atlanta #BCS National Championship Game, Pasadena, Calif.

Results

Captains: Javier Arenas, Mike Johnson,

Virginia Tech* Florida International North Texas Arkansas at Kentucky at Ole Miss South Carolina 32

W 34-24 W 40-14 W 53-7 W 35-7 W 38-20 W 22-3 W 20-6

Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain (25), running back Mark Ingram (22) and defensive back Javier Arenas (28) celebrate following the Crimson Tide’s 37-21 victory over Texas at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., for the 2009 national title. File photo

Rolando McClain Assistant coaches: Burton Burns

(associate head coach/running backs), Curt Cignetti (receivers), Bo Davis (defensive line), Jim McElwain (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks), Joe Pendry (assistant head coach/

offensive line), Kirby Smart (defensive coordinator/safeties), Sal Sunseri (assistant head coach/linebackers), Bobby Williams (tight ends/special teams), James Willis (associate head coach/outside linebackers), Scott Cochran (strength and conditioning) Leading rusher: Mark Ingram, 1,658 yards and 17 touchdowns on 271 carries Leading passer: Greg McElroy, 198 of 325 for 2,508 yards with 17 touchdowns and four interceptions Leading receiver: Julio Jones, 596 yards and four touchdowns on 43 receptions Leading tackler: Rolando McClain, 105 Top player awards: Mark Ingram, Heisman Trophy; Rolando McClain, Butkus Award and Jack Lambert Award

Overall record: 12-1 Conference record: 7-1 Path to the championship: After

losing to LSU in November, an Alabama team that had otherwise cruised through the season needed some help. In succession, Oklahoma State was upset by Iowa State, Stanford lost to Oregon and Oregon promptly lost to Southern Cal. Those results cleared the path for an Alabama-LSU rematch, even though UA didn’t win the SEC West and sat out the SEC Championship Game.

Bump in the road: In a contest billed as the Game of the Century, LSU defeated Alabama 9-6 in overtime at BryantDenny Stadium. Alabama missed four field goal tries in a battle of defensive behemoths.

Biggest win along the way: The Crimson Tide traveled to No. 12 Florida and held the Gators to 222 total yards - just 15 of them on the ground in a 38-12 romp.

Championship game: Alabama won the rematch with LSU at the Sugar Bowl.

The Tigers only drove into UA territory

once and were held to 92 total yards, while Alabama kicker Jeremy Shelley made five field goals. Trent Richardson broke loose for a touchdown run in the final minutes to ice the game.

Key stat: Alabama led the nation in scoring defense (8.2 points per game), rushing defense (72.15 yards per game), pass defense (115.5 yards per game) and total defense (183.6 yards per game).

Results Kent State W 48-7 at Penn State W 27-11 North Texas W 41-0 Arkansas W 38-14 at Florida W 38-10 Vanderbilt W 34-0 at Ole Miss W 52-7 Tennessee W 37-6 LSU L 9-6 OT at Mississippi State W 24-7 Georgia Southern W 45-21 at Auburn W 42-14 LSU* W 21-0 *BCS National Championship Game, New Orleans

Captains: Mark Barron, Dont’a Hightower, Trent Richardson Assistant coaches: Burton Burns (associate head coach/running backs), Mike Groh (receivers), Jim McElwain (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks), Jeremy Pruitt (safeties), Chris Rumph (defensive line), Kirby Smart (defensive coordinator/linebackers), Jeff Stoutland (offensive line), Sal Sunseri (assistant head coach/linebackers), Bobby Williams (tight ends/special teams), Scott Cochran (strength and conditioning) Leading rusher: Trent Richardson, 1,679 yards and 21 touchdowns on 283 carries Leading passer: AJ McCarron, 219 of 328 for 2,634 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions Leading receiver: Marquis Maze, 627 yards and one touchdown on 56 receptions Leading tackler: Don’ta Hightower, 85 Top player awards: Barrett Jones, Outland Trophy and Wuerffel Trophy; Trent Richardson, Doak Walker Award.

2011

Alabama coach Nick Saban celebrates winning the 2011 BCS National Championship Game against LSU on Monday Jan 9, 2012 at the Super Dome in New Orleans. File photo

33

Alabama running back Eddie Lacy holds the Coaches’ Trophy after the Crimson Tide’s BCS National Championship Game win against Notre Dame at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Monday, Jan. 7, 2013.

2012

File photo

Overall record: 13-1 Conference record: 7-1 Path to the championship:

Alabama looked like a national front-runner from the start, when it trounced Michigan in AT&T Stadium.

UA produced four shutouts and gave up two touchdowns or less in seven other games. The real national title game occurred in Atlanta in the SEC Championship Game, where Alabama topped Georgia, 32-28, in an epic battle.

Bump in the road: Meet Johnny Football, aka Johnny Manziel. Alabama greeted him in Bryant-Denny Stadium in October, and Texas A&M’s mesmerizing quarterback pulled off an upset on the way to winning the Heisman Trophy as the Aggies prevailed, 29-24.

Biggest win along the way: Alabama rallied to beat LSU in Baton Rouge, La., with T.J. Yeldon scoring the gamewinning touchdown on a 28-yard screen pass with 51 seconds to go.

Championship game: Alabama elephant-stomped Notre Dame, jumping out to a 28-0 lead by halftime. Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon each topped 100 yards on the ground and AJ McCarron threw four touchdown passes as UA won its third national crown in four years.

Key stat: Opponents averaged just 2.4 yards per carry on the season.

Results

Captains: Barrett Jones, Damion Square, Chance Warmack Assistant coaches: Burton Burns (associate head coach/running backs), Mike Groh

(receivers), Doug Nussmeier (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks), Jeremy Pruitt (defensive backs), Chris Rumph (defensive line), Kirby Smart (defensive coordinator/inside linebackers), Jeff Stoutland (offensive line), Lance Thompson (outside linebackers), Bobby Williams (tight ends/special teams), Scott Cochran (strength and conditioning) Leading rusher: Eddie Lacy, 1,322 yards and 17 touchdowns on 204 carries Leading passer: AJ McCarron, 211 of 314 for 2,933 yards with 30 touchdowns and three interceptions Leading receiver: Amari Cooper, 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns on 59 receptions Leading tackler: C.J. Mosley, 107 Top player awards: Barrett Jones, Rimington Trophy and Campbell Trophy

34

Michigan* W 41-14 W 35-0 Western Kentucky at Arkansas W 52-0 Florida Atlanti W 40-7 Ole Miss W 33-14 at Missouri W 42-10 W 44-13 at Tennessee Mississippi State W 38-7 at LSU W 21-17 Texas A&M L 29-24 Western Carolina W 49-0 Auburn W 49-0 Georgia+ W 32-28 Notre Dame# W 42-14 *Arlington, Texas +SEC Championship Game, Atlanta #BCS National Championship Game, Miami Gardens, Fla.

Jake Coker celebrates with the trophy after Alabama’s 45-40 victory over Clemson in the College Football National Championship Game in the University of Phoenix Stadium Monday, Jan. 11, 2016.

settle on a quarterback, and Jake Coker finally emerged in the wake of an early-season loss to Ole Miss. With no margin for error after that defeat, the Crimson Tide seemed to pick up steam week by week and gathered new momentum after a competitive victory over Tennessee. Running back Derrick Henry carried a big load through an SEC Championship Game win over Florida, and UA’s attack got more diversified in playoff wins over Michigan State and Clemson.

Bump in the road: The Crimson Tide fell at home to Ole Miss, 43-37, in the third game of the season, turning the ball over five times and allowing a long touchdown on a pass that deflected off the helmet of a defender.

Biggest win along the way: Alabama overwhelmed a highly-ranked Georgia team on the road in a downpour to reestablish itself as a contender, intercepting three passes in a stout defensive performance.

Championship game: Special teams proved key as Marlon Humphrey recovered a key onside kick and Kenyan Drake returned a kickoff for a touchdown as UA won a shootout over Clemson, 45-40. Tight end O.J. Howard was named most valuable player with 208 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Key stat: Alabama led the nation in sacks with 52, averaging nearly 3.5 per game.

Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.

2015

Overall record: 14-1 Conference record: 7-1 Path to the championship: Alabama had to

Results Wisconsin* W 35-7 Middle Tennessee W 37-10 Ole Miss L 43-37 Louisiana-Monroe W 34-0 at Georgia W 38-10 Arkansas W 27-14 at Texas A&M W 41-23 W 19-14 Tennessee LSU W 30-16 at Mississippi State W 31-6 Charleston Southern W 56-6 at Auburn W 29-13 Florida+ W 29-15 Michigan State# W 38-0 Clemson^ W 45-40 *Arlington, Texas +SEC Championship Game, Atlanta #College Football Playoff semifinal, Arlington, Texas ^CFP National Championship Game, Glendale, Ariz.

Captains: Jake Coker, Derrick Henry, Ryan Kelly, Reggie Ragland Assistant coaches: Burton Burns (associate head coach/running backs), Mario Cristobal (assistant head coach/ offensive line), Bo Davis (defensive line), Lane Kiffin (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks), Tosh Lupoi (outside linebackers), Billy Napier (receivers), Kirby Smart (defensive coordinator/inside linebackers), Mel Tucker (assistant head coach/defensive backs), Bobby Williams (tight ends/special teams), Scott Cochran (strength and

conditioning) Leading rusher: Derrick Henry, 2,219

yards and 28 touchdowns on 395 carries Leading passer: Jake Coker, 263 of 393

for 3,110 yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions Leading receiver: Calvin Ridley, 1,045 yards and seven touchdowns on 89 receptions Leading tackler: Reggie Ragland, 102 Top player awards: Derrick Henry, Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp Award; Ryan Kelly, Rimington Trophy 35

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36.indd 36

1/12/17 9:57 AM

Saban and Stability

NICK SABAN:

LONGEST TENURED COACH IN SEC

C C

oaching longevity isn’t easily attained in the toughest conference in the land.

Every other SEC school has changed coaches at least once since Nick Saban arrived at Alabama in 2007. In fact, league schools have made 24 coaching changes since that time if LSU’s pending full-time hire is factored into the equation.

Since the start of the 2007 season, no less than 235 head coaching changes have been made at Football Bowl Subdivision schools, according to data compiled by CollegeFootballPoll.com.

Here’s a look at the turnover in the league:

Arkansas

Coach in 2007: Houston Nutt (1998-2007) Coaches since: Bobby Petrino (2008-11), John L. Smith (2012), Bret Bielema (2013-present) National championships in last 10 years: none

Auburn

Coach in 2007: Tommy Tuberville (1999-2008) Coaches since: Gene Chizik (200912), Gus Malzahn (2013-present) National championships in last 10 years: 2010

Florida

Coach in 2007: Urban Meyer (2005-10) Coaches since: Will Muschamp (2011-14), Jim McElwain (2015-present) National championships in last 10 years: 2008

Georgia

Coach in 2007: Mark Richt (2001-15) Coaches since: Kirby Smart (2016) National championships in last 10 years: none

NOTE: Missouri and Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2012

Kentucky

Coach in 2007: Rich Brooks (2003-2009) Coaches since: Joker Phillips (201012), Mark Stoops (2013-present) National championships in last 10 years: none

LSU

Coach in 2007: Les Miles (2005-16*) Coaches since: Ed Orgeron (2016) National championships in last 10 years: 2007 *Fired midseason

Missouri

Coach in 2007: Gary Pinkel (2001-15) Coaches since: Barry Odom (2016) National championships in last 10 years: none

Ole Miss

Coach in 2007: Ed Orgeron (2005-07) Coaches since: Houston Nutt (200811), Hugh Freeze (2012-present) National championships in last 10 years: none

Mississippi State

Coach in 2007: Sylvester Croom (2004-08) Coaches since: Dan Mullen (2009-present) National championships in last 10 years: none

South Carolina

Coach in 2007: Steve Spurrier (2005-15*) Coaches since: Shawn Will Muschamp (2016) National championships in last 10 years: none *Retired mid season

Tennessee

Coach in 2007: Phillip Fulmer (1992-2008) Coaches since: Lane Kiffin (2009), Derek Dooley (2010-12), Butch Jones (2013-present) National championships in last 10 years: none

Texas A&M

Coach in 2007: Dennis Franchione (2003-07) Coaches since: Mike Sherman (200811), Kevin Sumlin (2012-present) National championships in last 10 years: none

Vanderbilt

Coach in 2007: Bobby Johnson (2002-09) Coaches since: Robbie Caldwell (2010), James Franklin (2011-13), Derek Mason (2014-present) National championships in last 10 years: none

­— Tommy Deas

37

2007

2008

ALABAMA SEASON CAPSULES UNDER NICK SABAN

Nick Saban walks off the field after his debut as the Alabama head coach. Alabama beat Western Carolina, 52-6, on Sept. 1, 2007 at Bryant Denny Stadium. File Photo

Preseason ranking: Not ranked Outlook: Plenty of excitement about the new coach, but no one knew what the harvest would be in Year One. Biggest surprise: A 6-2 start with close losses to Georgia and Florida State had hopes up for an SEC West run before an even bigger surprise – a textbook scandal – trimmed the roster, depleted the depth and brought momentum to a screeching halt.

Best performance: Even with the textbook distraction, the Crimson Tide crushed Tennessee 41-14 to begin the still-active win streak over the Vols.

Worst performance: Louisiana-Monroe, a unanimous choice.

Saban’s best coaching move: Hiring a staff of strong recruiters that included four current college head coaches (Kirby Smart, Major Applewhite, Curt Cignetti and Geoff Collins) Top offensive player: John Parker Wilson (255 for 462 passing for 2,846 yards with 18 touchdowns) had a good year without an all-star supporting cast (except for Andre Smith).

Top defensive player: Rashad Johnson led the team in tackles 38

(94), interceptions (6) and, most importantly, he simply led the team.

Unsung hero: Javier Arenas (323 punt return yards, 657 kickoff return yards) weaponized the special teams, which was much-needed.

Aftermath: Started strong, fell victim to player losses from the textbook snafu, faded in November but bounced back for an important bowl win over Colorado and laid a foundation for the decade to come.

Record: 7-6 overall+, 4-4+ SEC Final ranking: unranked Results Western Carolina W 52-6+ at Vanderbilt W 24-10+ Arkansas W 41-38+ L 26-23 OT Georgia Florida State* L 21-14 Houston W 30-24+ at Ole Miss W 27-24+ Tennessee W 41-17 LSU L 34-31 L 17-12 at Miss. State Louisiana-Monroe L 21-14 at Auburn L 17-10 Colorado# W 30-24 +Adjusted to 2-6 overall, 1-4 SEC with five victories vacated

by NCAA penalty *Orlando #Independence Bowl, Shreveport, La.

By cecil hurt

Alabama’s Glen Coffee runs for a second-quarter touchdown against Auburn on Saturday Nov. 29, 2008. File photo

Preseason ranking: No. 24 Outlook: Improvement on the previous year’s 7-6 record was expected, thanks to the Saban reputation and a No. 1 recruiting class as rated by most services.

Biggest surprise: Two trips to Georgia, the first a seasonopening smacking of Clemson.

For those who shrugged off Clemson as an overrated ACC opponent, Alabama followed that up on Sept. 27 by blowing out a favored Georgia team in the famous (or infamous) “blackout game” in Athens.

Best performance: The first half of that game at Georgia, when Alabama built a 31-0 halftime lead and showed the nation that, in a phrase that had been hollow for a decade, “Alabama is back.”

Worst performance: A flat Sugar Bowl effort against a good Utah team.

Saban’s best coaching move: Bringing in a great freshman class and immediately utilizing them without the usual apprehension with which coaches approach freshmen.

Top offensive player: Julio Jones, both for the catches (58 for 924 yards) and his overall impact on the culture as a practice-field warrior.

Top defensive player: Linebacker Rolando McClain (95 total tackles, 12 for loss) elevated himself to all-time Alabama territory, a lofty locale.

Unsung hero: Center Antoine Caldwell, overshadowed on the offensive line by Andre Smith but a strong presence in the middle.

Aftermath: In the end, it was the near-perfect Saban season — great success (an undefeated regular season) tempered by just enough late disappointment to provide rocket fuel-strength motivation for 2009.

Record: 12-2 overall, 8-0 SEC Final ranking: No. 6 Results W 34-10 Clemson* Tulane W 20-6 Western Kentucky W 41-7 Arkansas W 49-14 at Georgia W 41-30 Kentucky W 17-14 W 24-20 Ole Miss at Tennessee W 29-9 Arkansas State W 35-0 at LSU W 27-21 OT Mississippi State W 32-7 Auburn W 36-0 Florida+ L 31-20 Utah# L 31-17 *Atlanta +SEC Championship Game, Atlanta #Sugar Bowl, New Orleans

2009

2010

Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy sprints out for a pass in the fourth quarter against Florida in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta on Dec 5, 2009. Alabama won the game 32-13.

Alabama running back Mark Ingram (22) moves the ball upfield for yardage in the third quarter against Tennessee on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010. Alabama won 41-10. File photo

Preseason ranking: No. 5 Outlook: Expectations were high after a strong 2008 season, but the big question, in the SEC and nationally, was whether Alabama could measure up to defending champion Florida.

Biggest surprise: Individually, it was Alabama’s first Heisman Trophy winner who wasn’t considered a strong contender when the season began. Team-wise, it was two dominant postseason wins.

Best performance: Though an unprecedented run of success has followed, the 32-13 victory over undefeated and No. 1-ranked Florida in the SEC Championship is widely considered the highwater mark of Saban’s career in terms of a single game.

Worst performance: A 12-10 win over a Lane Kiffin-coached Tennessee team, one that Alabama survived largely due to two blocked kicks.

Saban’s best coaching move: Using the 2008 loss to Florida as the motivation for a national championship run.

Top offensive player: Sophomore Mark Ingram gained nearly 2,000 all-purpose yards (1,658 rushing and 334 receiving) en route to the Heisman.

Top defensive player: The Alabama defense was deeper and more talented than in

Preseason ranking: No. 1 Outlook: With a roster bursting at the seams with returning talent, Alabama was expected to win a second straight national title with ease.

Biggest surprise: The return to the top turned out not to be easy after all. The surprise was that, perhaps for the only time in Saban’s Alabama tenure, the chemistry was never right, at least not until most of the goals were gone.

Best performance: No great sushi chef ever sliced a yellowtail with the cold precision that Alabama unleashed on an unsuspecting Michigan State in a 49-7 Capital One Bowl win.

Worst performance: For an entire game, the inability to contain one-hit wonder Stephen Garcia at South Carolina.

For 30 minutes, a second-half home collapse against Auburn.

Saban’s best coaching move: Regrouping a dispirited squad for the bowl game.

Top offensive player: Julio Jones (78 catches for 1,133 yards) was a bright spot, if a 10-3 season can be considered darkness.

Top defensive player: Marcell Dareus anchored the defensive line and recorded 11 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. A close call

2008, but Rolando McClain (105 tackles, 14.5 for loss) was the anchor.

Unsung hero: Quarterbacks are rarely unsung. In his case, junior Greg McElroy, saddled with the sobriquet “game manager,” was more than that, throwing for more than 2,500 yards with four interceptions.

Aftermath: Dynasty Mode engaged. Alabama has not won every national championship since then, but the core question of college football in every subsequent season has been “who will beat Alabama?”

Record: 14-0 overall, 8-0 SEC Final ranking: No. 1 Results Virginia Tech* W 34-24 Florida International W 40-14 North Texas W 53-7 Arkansas W 35-7 at Kentucky W 38-20 at Ole Miss W 22-3 South Carolina W 20-6 Tennessee W 12-10 LSU W 24-15 at Mississippi State W 31-3 Chattanooga W 45-0 at Auburn W 26-21 Florida+ W 32-13 Texas# W 37-21 *Atlanta +SEC Championship Game, Atlanta, # BCS National Championship Game, Pasadena, Calif.

over Mark Barron and others.

Unsung hero: Robert Lester was better known as “the guy who played with Julio in high school,” but had eight interceptions and 29 tackles.

Aftermath: Suddenly, there seemed to be cracks in the foundation and questions of whether Alabama had been a two-year wonder. But if you watched that Capital One Bowl ...

Record: 10-3 overall, 5-3 SEC Final ranking: No. 10 Results San Jose State W 48-3 Penn State W 24-3 W 62-13 at Duke at Arkansas W 24-20 Florida W 31-6 at South Carolina L 35-21 Ole Miss W 23-10 W 41-10 at Tennessee at LSU L 24-21 Mississippi State W 30-10 Georgia State W 63-7 Auburn L 28-27 Michigan State# W 49-7 #Capital One Bowl in Orlando

39

2011

Alabama running back Trent Richardson breaks the tackle of Ole Miss safety Frank Crawford on a 76-yard touchdown run on Saturday Oct. 15, 2011 in Oxford, Miss. File photo

Preseason ranking: No. 2 Outlook: Alabama was again expected to finish among the nation’s elite despite losing a great deal of offensive talent.

Biggest surprise: LSU crossing the 50-yard line in New Orleans. All votes for Iowa State saving the Crimson Tide’s title chances will be considered.

Best performance: The BCS Championship Game.

Alabama held an LSU team that was rightly considered as one of the best college teams of the decade to just 92 yards in a 21-0 win.

Worst performance: The Game of The Century. In the regular-season meeting against No. 1 LSU, Alabama was tight and made costly mistakes on offense and in the kicking game before losing 9-6 in overtime.

Saban’s best coaching move: Holding things together after what could have been a spirit-crushing defeat against LSU. Top offensive player: Trent Richardson had a year that was almost the statistical mirror of Ingram’s Heisman campaign, rushing for 1,679

40

yards and 24 touchdowns.

Top defensive player: Linebacker Dont’a Hightower (85 total tackles), although you could really choose any of the 11 starters and make a strong case.

Unsung hero: As a receiver (627 yards) and kick returner (778 yards), Marquis Maze did a little bit of everything.

Aftermath: In the end, Alabama was clearly the nation’s best team although the controversy about “The Rematch” at least made for spicy offseason conversation.

Record: 12-1 overall, 7-1 SEC Final ranking: No. 1 Results Kent State W 48-7 at Penn State W 27-11 W 41-0 North Texas Arkansas W 38-14 at Florida W 38-10 Vanderbilt W 34-0 at Ole Miss W 52-7 Tennessee W 37-6 L 9-6 OT LSU at Mississippi State W 24-7 Georgia Southern W 45-21 at Auburn W 42-14 LSU# W 21-0 #BCS National Championship Game, New Orleans

2012

Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) attempts to elude Georgia defensive back Sanders Commings (19) in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 1, 2012 in Atlanta. File photo

Preseason ranking: No. 2 Outlook: Lofty expectations as the Crimson Tide looked to accomplish the repeat title that eluded it in 2010.

Biggest surprise: Surely a smallish quarterback from Texas A&M wasn’t all that great, was he? Or, if you are Aaron Murray, an even bigger surprise was Quinton Dial.

Best performance: Alabama was most dominant in the BCS Championship Game against Notre Dame, but might have had to give its best effort to defeat Georgia in an all-time classic SEC title match in Atlanta.

Worst performance: A five-point loss to Texas A&M, although even that wasn’t entirely without explanation: a hot opposing quarterback, an emotional letdown after a big win at LSU and a slow start.

Saban’s best coaching move: Splitting running back duties between Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon kept both backs fresh, and quarterback AJ McCarron chilled.

Top offensive player: A group award to a dominant offensive line. Center Barrett Jones won the most hardware, but D.J. Fluker and Chance Warmack were NFL first-rounders and Cyrus Kouandjio and Anthony Steen had pro futures as well.

Top defensive player: C.J. Mosley carried on the great linebacker tradition under Saban with 107 tackles, nearly double the total of the team’s No. 2 tackler.

Unsung hero: Jesse Williams didn’t have great stats (37 tackles, 2.5 sacks) due to the nature of his position. But he was a rock and his effort against Georgia (while playing hurt) might have meant the national title.

Aftermath: Even before Alabama made it out of Miami, there was talk of a three-peat, much to Saban’s chagrin.

Record: 13-1 overall, 7-1 SEC Final ranking: No. 1 Results Michigan* W 41-14 Western Kentucky W 35-0 at Arkansas W 52-0 W 40-7 Florida Atlantic Ole Miss W 33-14 at Missouri W 42-10 at Tennessee W 44-13 Mississippi State W 38-7 at LSU W 21-17 Texas A&M L 29-24 Western Carolina W 49-0 Auburn W 49-0 Georgia* W 32-28 Notre Dame# W 42-14 *Arlington, Texas +SEC Championship Game, Atlanta #BCS National Championship Game, Miami Gardens, Fla.

2013

2014

Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron scrambles looking for an open receiver during the third quarter against LSU on Nov. 9, 2013 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. File photo

Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland (19) slams Arkansas wide receiver Eric Hawkins (14) to the ground in the fourth quarter on Saturday Oct. 11, 2014 in Fayetteville, Ark. File photo

Preseason ranking: No. 1 Outlook: The Crimson Tide was a unanimous preseason No. 1 and there was much debate on where UA – and quarterback AJ McCarron – would rank in college football history with a third straight title.

Biggest surprise: The loss at Auburn, partly because of the unique nature of the “Kick Six” and partly because UA lost at all.

Best performance: There were several easy wins, although a 49-42 payback victory over Texas A&M in the early-season heat of College Station probably was the most exciting.

Worst performance: A flat Sugar Bowl effort – like the one in 2008 – but this time against Oklahoma.

Saban’s best coaching move: Everyone points to the end of the Auburn game as a low point, but Saban held the team together most of the season despite the unprecedented attention on the three-peat.

Top offensive player: Quarterback AJ McCarron was a Heisman Trophy finalist, throwing for 3,063 yards (226 of 336, 28 touchdowns).

Top defensive player:

Preseason ranking: No. 2 Outlook: The conclusion of 2013 caused some doubt, but it was again difficult to overlook the amount of talent on hand – if they could find a quarterback.

Biggest surprise: Blake Sims.

Two years earlier, he had been a reserve running back. In 2014, thanks to perseverance and Lane Kiffin, he was the quarterback of an SEC champion and College Football Playoff participant. He threw for 3,487 yards, about 3,400 more than most people would have dreamed.

Best performance: After a loss at Ole Miss and a one-point win over Arkansas, Alabama needed a rare confidence boost — and got it with a 59-0 demolition of Texas A&M. Worst performance: The loss at Ole Miss was lackluster, and the one-point win at Arkansas might have been worse.

Saban’s best coaching move: Hiring Lane Kiffin. Saban caused jaws to drop across the college football world when he brought in the former Tennessee and USC coach, but Kiffin paid immediate dividends in developing Sims into a QB. Top offensive player: Wide receiver Amari Cooper. Kiffin kept finding ways to get Cooper the ball, and Cooper kept on delivering, finishing with school

Safety Landon Collins was a wrecking ball (70 tackles, two interceptions) and C.J. Mosley (108 tackles) had a send consecutive All-America season, so call it a tie.

Unsung hero: Safety/special teamer Vinnie Sunseri was playing at a high level when a knee injury ended his season in Week Seven against Arkansas. His absence was a factor down the stretch.

Aftermath: Hopes had been so high until the sudden cold slap at Auburn that the year was considered something of a disappointment despite 11 consecutive wins at the outset.

Record: 11-2 overall, 7-1 SEC Final ranking: No. 7 Results Virginia Tech* W 35-10 at Texas A&M W 49-42 Colorado State W 31-6 Ole Miss W 25-0 Georgia State W 45-3 at Kentucky W 48-7 Arkansas W 52-0 Tennessee W 45-10 LSU W 38-17 at Mississippi State W 20-7 Chattanooga W 49-0 at Auburn L 34-28 Oklahoma L 45-31# *Atlanta, #Sugar Bowl, New Orleans

records for receptions (124) and receiving yards (1,727).

Top defensive player: For a second straight season, Landon Collins was dominant, leading the team in tackles (103) and interceptions (three).

Unsung hero: Freshman JK Scott averaged 48 yards per punt, giving Alabama an agent of field-flipping power that it hadn’t seen since Harry Gilmer.

Aftermath: A solid year ended with a loss to a red-hot Ohio State team, but given the expectations created by Saban, Alabama fans wanted more.

Record: 12-2 overall, 7-1 SEC Final ranking: No. 4 Results West Virginia* W 33-23 Florida Atlantic W 41-0 Southern Miss W 52-12 W 42-21 Florida at Ole Miss L 23-17 at Arkansas W 14-13 Texas A&M W 59-0 at Tennessee W 34-20 at LSU W 20-13 OT Mississippi State W 25-20 Western Carolina W 48-14 Auburn W 55-44 Missouri W 42-13* Ohio State L 42-35# *Atlanta +SEC Championship Game, Atlanta #College Football Playoff semifinal, New Orleans 41

2015

2016

Cyrus Jones (5) celebrates with teammates after scoring on a punt return against Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 31, 2015. Staff photo/Gary Cosby Jr.

Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts runs the ball during the second half of the SEC Championship Game against Florida in Atlanta on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Staff Photo/Erin Nelson

Preseason ranking: No. 3 Outlook: For a second straight season, there was optimism tempered by the absence of a proven QB. Biggest surprise: That probably belonged to the national commentators who pronounced Alabama dead after three weeks.

On the field, that was the development of Jake Coker into a solid starting quarterback.

Best performance: In the regular season, LSU came to Tuscaloosa with a No. 2 national ranking. The Tigers left with a 30-16 loss. In the playoff, both the blowout (38-0 over Big Ten champion Michigan State) and the thriller (45-40 over Clemson) were memorable.

Worst performance: It’s a little unfair to Ole Miss to automatically award the Rebels with “Alabama’s Worst Performance” every year, but the mistake-filled, five-turnover effort was a dark cloud.

Saban’s best coaching move: Handling a complex set of postseason issues — including a departing defensive coordinator — with mastery. Oh, and the onside kick against Clemson.

Top offensive player: If you disagree, Derrick Henry will run over you just like he did everyone else. The totals for the junior running back: 2,219 yards, 28 touchdowns and a Heisman.

Preseason ranking: No. 1 Outlook: For a third straight season, the questions were offensive: who would replace Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry and, as usual, who would be the quarterback?

Biggest surprise: Two words – Jalen Hurts. In less than his first full season, he is on the way to redefining the quarterback position at UA. Best performance: There’s a strong argument for a 52-6 opening win against a Rose Bowl-bound USC team.

Worst performance: In order not to give this designation to the Ole Miss game for a third straight year, let’s pin it on a tumultuous summer of off-the-field problems.

Saban’s best coaching move: Overcoming a tumultuous season of off-the-field problems.

Top offensive player: Jalen Hurts, the SEC Offensive Player of the Year.

Top defensive player: Jonathan Allen, the AP National Defensive Player of the Year.

Unsung hero: Very few Alabama players have gone through an undefeated season without being praised at some point, but you probably

42

Top defensive player: Linebacker Reggie Ragland led a balanced unit with 102 tackles to edge out worthy candidates at both defensive tackles, A’Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed.

Unsung hero: The Missing Man, tight end O.J. Howard, redeemed all the patience of UA fans with an MVP performance in the CFP title win.

Aftermath: A grudging acceptance that college football was Alabama’s world.

Record: 14-1 overall, 7-1 SEC Final ranking: No. 1 Results Wisconsin* W 35-7 Middle Tennessee W 37-10 Ole Miss L 43-37 Louisiana-Monroe W 34-0 at Georgia W 38-10 Arkansas W 27-14 at Texas A&M W 41-23 Tennessee W 19-14 LSU W 30-16 at Mississippi State W 31-6 Charleston Southern W 56-6 at Auburn W 29-13 Florida+ W 29-15 Michigan State# W 38-0 Clemson^ W 45-40 *Arlington, Texas +SEC Championship Game, Atlanta #College Football Playoff semifinal, Arlington, Texas ^CFP National Championship Game, Glendale, Ariz.

haven’t heard enough about Bradley Bozeman’s seamless work at center, where he’s made the absence of AllAmerican Ryan Kelly barely noticeable.

Aftermath: The Crimson Tide regroups after a downto-the-wire loss to Clemson in the title game. The good news is Alabama has another top-ranked recruiting class coming in.

Record: 14-0 overall, 8-0 SEC (Season in progress) Final ranking: To be determined Results Southern Cal* W 52-6 Western Kentucky W 38-10 at Ole Miss W 48-43 W 48-0 Kent State Kentucky W 34-6 at Arkansas W 39-30 at Tennessee W 49-10 Texas A&M W 33-14 at LSU W 10-0 Mississippi State W 51-3 Chattanooga W 31-3 Auburn W 30-12 Florida+ W 54-16 Washington^ W 24-7 *Arlington, Texas +SEC Championship Game, Atlanta ^CFP semifinal, Atlanta

WE’REHERE HEREFOR FOR YOU. WE’RE YOU. SEASONAFTER AFTER SEASON. SEASON. SEASON Around here, the new year doesn’t start in January. It starts with the first home game. Every August the

Around here, the new yearAlabama doesn’t awake start infrom January.

It starts with first home game.

August theand good people of West their long summer napthe to celebrate being part Every of a shared history good people of West Alabama awakeand from their long summer napSystem to celebrate being of annual a shared history a common purpose.

Your friends neighbors at the DCH Health love being partpart of this ritual.

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Your friends and neighbors Health System–love being high partquality, of this compassionate annual ritual.health We’re also to this community.

So let’s allwith cheerits onown the Tide.

And and remember that–if to youprovide need us,high we’llquality, be right here for you, proud toservices be members of an organization history purpose compassionate health as we’ve been season after season. That’s what we mean by Caring. For Life. services just to this community. So let’s all cheer on the Tide. And remember that if you need us, we’ll be right here for you,

just as we’ve been season after season. That’s what we mean by Caring. For Life.

43

ALL-SABAN TEAM FIRST TEAM OFFENSE QUARTERBACK AJ McCarron (2010-13)

RUNNING BACK Derrick Henry (2013-15)

RUNNING BACK Mark Ingram (2008-10)

WIDE RECEIVER Amari Cooper (2012-14)

WIDE RECEIVER Julio Jones (2008-10)

WIDE RECEIVER Kevin Norwood (2010-13)

TIGHT END O.J. Howard (2013-16)

LEFT TACKLE Andre Smith (2007-08)

LEFT GUARD Chance Warmack (2009-12)

CENTER Ryan Kelly (2012-15)

RIGHT GUARD Barrett Jones (2009-12)

RIGHT TACKLE DJ Fluker (2010-12)Â

44

ALL-SABAN TEAM FIRST TEAM DEFENSE END Jonathan Allen

(2013-16)

Marcel Dareus (2008-10)

TACKLE Terrence Cody

(2008-09)

TACKLE Jarran Reed

(2014-15)

INSIDE LINEBACKER Rolando McClain (2007-09)

CJ Mosley

(2010-13)

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER Dont’a Hightower

(2008-11)

Courtney Upshaw (2008-11)

CORNERBACK Kareem Jackson (2007-09)

CORNERBACK Dre Kirkpatrick (2009-11)

FREE SAFETY Rashad Johnson (2007-09)

STRONG SAFETY Mark Barron (2008-11)

45

ALL-SABAN TEAM SECOND TEAM OFFENSE QUARTERBACK Greg McElroy (2008-10)

RUNNING BACK Eddie Lacy (2010-12)

RUNNING BACK Trent Richardson (2009-11)

WIDE RECEIVER Marquis Maze (2009-11)

WIDE RECEIVER Calvin Ridley (2015-16)

WIDE RECEIVER DeAndrew White (2011-14)

TIGHT END Michael Williams (2009-12)

LEFT TACKLE Cam Robinson (2014-16)

LEFT GUARD Mike Johnson (2006-09)

CENTER William Vlachos (2008-11)

RIGHT GUARD Anthony Steen (2010-13)

RIGHT TACKLE James Carpenter (2009-10)

46

ALL-SABAN TEAM SECOND TEAM DEFENSE END Quinton Dial (2011-12)

A’Shawn Robinson (2013-15)

TACKLE Josh Chapman (2008-11)

Jesse Williams (2011-12)

INSIDE LINEBACKER Reuben Foster (2013-16)

Reggie Ragland (2012-15)

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER Ryan Anderson (2013-16)

Tim Williams (2013-16)

CORNERBACK Minkah Fitzpatrick (2015-16)

CORNERBACK Dee Milliner (2010-12)

FREE SAFETY Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix (2011-13)

STRONG SAFETY Landon Collins (2012-14)

47

All-Saban Team HONORABLE MENTION

FIRST TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS Kicker Leigh Tiffin

SECOND SPECIAL TEAMS Punt

Punter JK Scott

Kicker Jeremy Shelley

Punt returner Javier Arenas

Punter Cody Mandel

(2007-09)

(2014-16)

(2007-09)

(2010-12)

(2010-13)

OFFENSE Quarterback

Jake Coker (2014-15), Jalen Hurts (2016), Blake Sims (2011-14), John Parker Wilson (2007-08)

returner Marquis Maze

Running back

(2009-11)

Glen Coffee (2007-08), Jalston Fowler (2011-14), T.J. Yeldon (2012-14)

Kick returner Kenyan Drake

Wide receiver

Darius Hanks (2008-11), ArDarius Stewart (2014-16)

(2012-15)

Tight end

Brad Smelley (2009-11), Nick Walker (2005-08)

Kick returner Javier Arenas

Offensive Line

Antoine Caldwell (2007-08), Arie Kouandijo (2012-14), Cyrus Kouandijo (2011-13), Austin Shepherd (2011-14), Jonah Williams (2016)

(2007-09)

Long snapper

DEFENSE Defensive line

Brandon Deaderick (2006-09), Xzavier Dickson (2011-14), Jeoffrey Pagan (2011-13), Da’Ron Payne (2015-16), Damion Square (2009-12), Ed Stinson (2011-13), Dalvin Tomlinson (2013-15)

Inside linebacker

Nico Johnson (2009-12)

Outside linebacker

Denzell Devall (2012-15)

Cornerback

Javier Arenas (2007-09), Cyrus Jones (2012-15), Marlon Humphrey (2015-16), DeQuan Menzie (2010-11)

Free safety

Eddie Jackson (2013-16), Marquis Johnson (2007-09)

Strong safety

Vinnie Sunseri (2011-13)

SPECIAL TEAMS Punter

P.J. Fitzgerald (2006-09)

Punt returner

Javier Arenas 48

Eddie Jackson (2013-16), Cyrus Jones (2012-15)

Kick returner

Julio Jones (2008-10), Trent Richardson (2009-11)

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49

Nick Saban Timeline

2007

Dec. 30 Alabama defeats Colorado, 30-24, in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La. It turns out to be a turning point, the start of a 13-game winning streak for the Crimson Tide.

Nov. 24 Auburn defeats Alabama 17-10 in Auburn, extending its winning streak to six games in the Iron Bowl series.

Oct. 19

Jan. 4: Nick Saban introduced as head football coach at Alabama, leaving the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League for a deal that will pay $32 million over eight years, an average salary of $4 million per year.

January-February Saban hires his initial coaching staff at Alabama, including Kirby Smart (later named defensive coordinator in 2008), offensive coordinator Major Applewhite and offensive line coach Joe Pendry.

Sept. 1 Alabama defeats Western Carolina 52-6 at BryantDenny Stadium in Saban’s debut.

Feb. 7 Saban’s first recruiting class at Alabama is ranked No. 11 nationally, with 10 four-star prospects and no five-star prospects. Top signees include linebacker Rolando McClain and defensive back Kareem Jackson.

April 21 March 24 Saban holds first spring practice as Alabama’s head coach.

50

A-Day Game attracts overflow crowd of 92,138 for Saban’s first appearance on an Alabama sideline.

UA suspends five football players, including three starters, on the eve of the Tennessee game for their involvement in a widespread pattern of misuse of the athletic scholarship textbook material distribution system, which touches on 16 different Alabama teams.

NICK SABAN TIMELINE

AUG. 30 JAN. 17 Major Applewhite resigns from his position as offensive coordinator to take a position as running backs coach at Texas as Saban makes a change on his coaching staff.

The Crimson Tide upends ninth-ranked Clemson, 34-10, in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, to signal that this Alabama team will be formidable. UA rises to No. 13 in the next week’s AP poll, and continues to move up throughout the season.

2008

SEPT. 27 Alabama jumps out to a 31-point lead by halftime and beats third-ranked Georgia, 41-30, before a “blackout” crowd in Athens, Ga.

NOV. 29

Now ranked No. 1, Alabama ends Auburn’s Iron Bowl winning streak with a 36-0 trouncing in Tuscaloosa to close out an undefeated regular season.

JAN. 30 Jim McElwain is hired as offensive coordinator. He comes from Fresno State and has previously coached quarterbacks in the National Football League as offensive coordinator.

FEB. 6 Alabama signs the No. 1-ranked recruiting class in the nation, a group that includes Julio Jones, Mark Ingram, Barrett Jones and other future stars.

Julio Jones

DEC. 6 The Crimson Tide leads No. 2 Florida going into the fourth quarter, but the Tim Tebow-led Gators rally to win 31-20 in the SEC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome to end UA’s winning streak. Florida advances to the Bowl Championship Series national title game, while Alabama accepts a bid to the Sugar Bowl.

AUG. 16 APRIL 26-27 No Alabama players are selected in the NFL Draft.

Alabama ranked No. 24 in AP Top 25 preseason poll.

FEB. 27 Kirby Smart is promoted to defensive coordinator. Kevin Steele takes the title of defensive head coach after serving as coordinator in 2007.

DEC. 29: Outland Trophy winner Andre Smith is suspended and sent home from Sugar Bowl practices after he is discovered to have had improper dealings with an agent.

> 51

Nick Saban Timeline

2009

June 12: The NCAA orders Alabama to vacate five football wins from the 2007 season due to participation of players who violated rules in the textbook scandal. Alabama’s adjusted record for the season is 2-6.

April 25-26:

Aug. 22:

Four Alabama players are selected in the NFL Draft, including Andre Smith in the first round.

AP Preseason Top 25 is released, with Alabama ranked fifth and defending national champion Florida at No. 1.

Oct. 24: The Crimson Tide, which has risen to No. 1 in the rankings, survives against Tennessee, winning 12-10 at Bryant-Denny Stadium when Terrence Cody blocks a field-goal attempt on the final Sept. 5: play of the game.

Alabama defeats seventhranked Virginia Tech, 34-24, to open the season in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Feb. 4: Alabama signs another No. 1-ranked recruiting class, with four five-star prospects and 14 fourstar recruits in the class, among them future stars Chance Warmack, D.J. Fluker, AJ McCarron and Trent Richardson.

Jan. 2: Seventh-ranked Utah upsets Alabama in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. UA finishes 12-2 with a No. 6 final ranking.

> 52

Aug. 29: Saban receives a raise and a contract extension through 2017 that will pay $43.25 million over the life of the contract, with annual compensation escalating from $4.1 million to $4.75 million.

Nov. 7: Alabama holds off No. 9 LSU, 24-15, in Tuscaloosa to clinch the SEC Western Division.

Dec. 5: No. 1 Alabama dominates No. 2 Florida, 32-13, in an SEC Championship Game rematch in Atlanta to earn a spot in the BCS National Championship Game against Texas in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

Dec. 13: Mark Ingram becomes Alabama’s first Heisman Trophy winner.

He is awarded college football’s highest individual honor at a ceremony in New York City.

NICK SABAN TIMELINE

2010

JAN. 7 Alabama defeats Texas 37-21 to win the Bowl Championship Series national title, the school’s first since 1992 and the first of the Nick Saban era. UA finishes 14-0.

NOV. 26

South Carolina stuns the top-ranked Crimson Tide in Columbia, S.C., winning 35-21 to end Alabama’s 19-game winning streak.

Second-ranked Auburn hands UA its third loss of the season, coming from behind in the second half to win 28-27 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

AUG. 21

JAN. 16 An estimated crowd of 38,000 descends upon Bryant-Denny Stadium for the national championship celebration. Nick Saban tells the crowd: “I want everybody here to know, this is not the end. This is the beginning.”

FEB. 3 Alabama signs a top-five recruiting class that includes C.J. Mosley, Dee Milliner and DeAndrew White.

>

OCT. 19

Alabama ranked No. 1 in preseason AP Top 25.

APRIL 22-24 Seven Alabama players are taken in the NFL Draft, including first-round selections Rolando McClain and Kareem Jackson.

MARCH 8 The Alabama football team visits the White House in Washington, D.C., to be honored by President Obama for winning the national championship.

53

JAN. 13

NICK SABAN TIMELINE

201 1

Offensive line coach Joe Pendry, who came to Alabama with an established NFL pedigree, retires from coaching. Jeff Stoutland is hired to replace him, with Chris Rumph replacing defensive line coach Bo Davis, who left for Texas, and Mike Groh joining the staff as receivers coach in a major overhaul of the staff.

DEC. 12 FEB. 2

JAN. 1

>

Alabama demolishes Big Ten co-champion Michigan State 41-7 in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando to finish 10-3. UA is ranked No. 10 in the final AP Top 25 poll.

Colorado State hires Jim McElwain as its head coach.

He announces that he will coach UA’s offense through the national title game.

Nick Saban and his Alabama staff sign the No. 1-ranked recruiting class in the country, which includes future stars HaHa Clinton-Dix, Vinnie Sunseri and Jesse Williams.

DEC. 2 Despite not winning the SEC or its division, second-ranked Alabama receives an invitation to play a rematch with LSU in the BCS National Championship Game in New Orleans.

SEPT. 10 UA improves to 2-0 with a 27-11 victory at No. 23 Penn State.

NOV. 5

AUG. 20

In a contest billed as the Game of the Century, No. 1 LSU defeats No. 2 Alabama 9-6 in overtime at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Alabama is ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 preseason poll, behind Oklahoma.

APRIL 28-30 Five Alabama players are selected in the NFL Draft, including four first-rounders: Marcell Dareus, Julio Jones, James Carpenter and Mark Ingram.

APRIL 16 Nick Saban’s 9-foot statue on the Walk of Fame at Bryant-Denny Stadium is unveiled. Saban joins past national championship coaches Wallace Wade, Frank Thomas, Paul W. “Bear” Bryant and Gene Stallings among the statuary.

54

Marcell Dareus

APRIL 27 An EF-4 tornado ravages the Tuscaloosa area, killing more than 60 people, including the girlfriend of snapper Carson Tinker. Nick Saban and the Alabama football team are among the volunteers who partake in the recovery area. The team is later honored with Disney’s Wide World of Sports Spirit Award .

Nick Saban Timeline

2012

Feb. 1 For the third time in four years, Alabama signs the top-ranked recruiting class. The incoming group includes future stars Reggie Ragland, Amari Cooper, Landon Collins and T.J. Yeldon.

March 26

Jan. 21

Saban receives a raise that will pay him nearly $45 million over eight years, averaging about $5.62 million per year.

Alabama holds a national championship celebration at Bryant-Denny Stadium in front of a crowd of 32,000.

April 19 April 26-28 Eight Alabama players are picked in the NFL Draft, including first-round selections Trent Richardson, Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick and Dont’a Hightower.

Alabama is honored for its national championship with a visit to the White House to meet with President Obama.

Aug. 17 The Crimson Tide is ranked No. 2, behind Southern Cal, in the preseason AP Top 25 poll.

Jan. 18 Doug Nussmeier, who has spent the last three seasons at Washington, is hired as Alabama’s offensive coordinator to replace Jim McElwain.

April 26-28 Eight Alabama players are picked in the NFL Draft, including first-round selections Trent Richardson, Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick and Dont’a Hightower.

Aug. 17

Sept. 1

The Crimson Tide is ranked No. 2, behind Southern Cal, in the preseason AP Top 25 poll.

Alabama opens its season with a 41-14 victory over No. 8 Michigan in Arlington, Texas.

Dec. 1 After winning the SEC Western Division despite the loss to A&M, second-ranked Alabama edges third-ranked Georgia 32-28 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta in the SEC Championship Game. The victory gives UA a spot in the BCS National Championship Game opposite Notre Dame.

Nov. 10: Johnny Manziel, also known as “Johnny Football,” leads 15thranked Texas A&M to a 29-24 upset of No. 1-ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa to end UA’s 13-game winning streak.

Jan. 9 In a dominant defensive performance, LSU only has one possession that crosses the 50-yard line and Alabama wins the rematch 21-0 in the Superdome to claim the Bowl Championship Series national title.

> 55

Nick Saban Timeline

2013

Aug. 17 Alabama is ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 preseason poll.

April 25-27

Sept. 14 After defeating Virginia Tech in the season opener, top-ranked Alabama travels to College Station, Texas, to win a 49-42 shootout with No. 6 Texas A&M, led by Johnny Manziel.

Nine UA players are selected in the NFL Draft, including first-rounders Dee Milliner, Chance Warmack and D.J. Fluker.

April 15 Feb. 6 Alabama lands yet another No. 1-ranked signing class, which includes Eddie Jackson, Jonathan Allen and Derrick Henry.

President Obama hosts Alabama at the White House for the third time to recognize college football’s national championship team.

Jan. 19 A parade down University Boulevard, concluding at the Walk of Champions plaza, draws thousands to honor the national championship team.

Jan. 7

> 56

In a matchup of traditional college football powers, Alabama overwhelms Notre Dame, 42-14, in Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., to claim its second consecutive Bowl Championship Series title. UA finishes 13-1.

Nov. 30 Fourth-ranked Auburn upsets No. 1 Alabama, 34-28, on the “Kick Six” play in Auburn to end UA’s 15-game winning streak and end the Crimson Tide’s bid for a third consecutive national championship.

NICK SABAN TIMELINE

2014

DEC. 6

JAN. 2

No. 1 Alabama wins the SEC Championship Game, beating up No. 16 Missouri 42-13 margin.

This earns Alabama a semifinal berth against Ohio State in New Orleans.

Alabama falls to 11th-ranked Oklahoma, 45-31, in the Sugar Bowl to finish 11-2 with a No. 7 national ranking.

>

NOV. 15 Now ranked No. 5, the Crimson Tide defeats No. 1 Mississippi State 25-20 in Tuscaloosa to solidify its standing as a contender to make the inaugural fourteam College Football Playoff field.

JAN. 11 In a move that shocks the college football world, Nick Saban hires former Tennessee and Southern Cal head coach Lane Kiffin as offensive coordinator. He replaces Doug Nussmeier, who left to direct Michigan’s offense.

JUNE 3 Alabama gives Saban a raise to $6.9 million per year and extends his contract through the 2021 season in a deal that will pay a total of $55.2 million if the coach stays through the end of the deal.

AUG. 17 The Crimson Tide is ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP Top 25, behind Florida State.

AUG. 30 Blake Sims makes his debut as Alabama’s starting quarterback after beating out Florida State transfer Jake Coker for the position and UA opens with a 33-23 victory over West Virginia at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome.

OCT. 4 After a 4-0 start, Alabama falls 23-17 at 11th-ranked Ole Miss.

Cam Robinson

FEB. 5

MAY 8-10

For the fourth year in a row, Alabama lands the No. 1 recruiting class, with future stars Cam Robinson, Marlon Humphrey and Bo Scarbrough among the signees.

Eight Alabama players are taken in the NFL Draft, including first-round selections C.J. Mosley and HaHa Clinton-Dix. 57

C.J. Mosley

Nick Saban Timeline

2015

Dec. 31 Second-seeded Alabama trounces Michigan State 38-0 in a CFP semifinal to advance to the championship game.

>

Dec. 13 Running back Derrick Henry wins the Heisman Trophy, becoming the second UA player to claim college football’s top individual honor.

Dec. 12 Alabama hires former Nick Saban assistant Jeremy Pruitt as defensive coordinator to replace Kirby Smart.

Pruitt previously served in the same position at Georgia and Florida State.

Dec. 7 Georgia hires Kirby Smart as head coach. Smart confirms he will coach Alabama’s defense through the rest of the season.

Dec. 5

Jan. 1

Feb. 4 Calvin Ridley and Da’Ron Payne are among the top signees in Alabama’s recruiting class, which again is acclaimed as No. 1 by some recruiting services.

58

Eventual national champion Ohio State beats Alabama 42-35. UA finishes 12-2 with a No. 4 national ranking.

Alabama, which defeated four ranked teams in finishing out the regular season on a nine-game winning streak, beats No. 18 Florida 29-15 at the Georgia Dome to win the SEC Championship Game, earning UA a berth in the College Football Playoff.

Sept. 5 The Crimson Tide defeats No. 20 Wisconsin 35-17 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, to open the season.

April 30-May 2

Sept. 19

Amari Cooper is selected in the first round of the NFL Draft to highlight a group of seven picks from Alabama.

No. 15 Ole Miss upends Alabama for the second season in a row, this time in Tuscaloosa by a 43-37 score, dropping UA to No. 12 in the rankings. Quarterback Jake Coker emerges as the starter in the wake of this game to lead UA for the rest of the season.

Aug. 23 Alabama is ranked No. 3, behind Ohio State and TCU, in the preseason AP Top 25 poll.

Nov. 5 Alabama beats LSU 10-0 in Baton Rouge, La., to close out a string of four straight victories over ranked teams, with three of those wins coming on the road.

Nick Saban Timeline

2016

Dec. 3 UA claims another SEC championship by beating 15th-ranked Florida 54-16 in Atlanta to clinch the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.

Sept. 17 After losing to the Rebels two seasons in a row, Alabama beats No. 19 Ole Miss, 48-43, in Oxford, Miss.

Sept. 3 At AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Alabama opens the season with a 52-6 victory over No. 20 Southern Cal.

Aug. 21 Jan. 11 Alabama wins the national championship, defeating Clemson 45-40 in Glendale, Ariz. UA finishes with a 14-1 record.

Alabama is ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll.

April 28-30 Center Ryan Kelly is selected in the first round to lead a class of seven Alabama players taken in the NFL Draft.

Dec. 31 Alabama defeats Washington 24-7 in a CFP semifinal at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Feb. 3 Jalen Hurts and Jonah Williams are part of yet another No. 1-ranked Alabama recruiting class.

Jan. 23 In a familiar tradition, the Crimson Tide’s national championship team is recognized in a parade.

March 2 Alabama and President Obama meet again at the White House in another national championship ceremony.

59

Alabama tight end O.J. Howard, following a big catch, during Alabama’s 52-6 season opening win over the University of Southern California on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016 in Arlington, Texas. Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.

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2016 SEASON RECAP

BY TERRIN WAACK

SEPTEMBER 3, 2016 / AT&T STADIUM / ARLINGTON, TEXAS

ALABAMA SOUTHERN CAL

52 6

Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts sprints past USC defensive back Chris Hawkins for a touchdown during Alabama’s 52-6 season opening win over the University of Southern California on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, in Arlington, Texas. STAFF PHOTO/GARY COSBY JR.

RECAP:

QUOTABLE:

The Crimson Tide had not lost a season opener since Nick Saban took over as head coach in 2007. Although Blake Barnett started as Alabama’s quarterback, it was true freshman Jalen Hurts who led the team to victory after entering late in the first quarter. Hurts threw two touchdown passes to wide receiver ArDarius Stewart — from 39 and 71 yards out — then ran for two more scores of 7 and 6 yards. It also helped that the defense prevented USC from breaking through the end zone, allowing only two field goals. The last time the Trojans hadn’t scored a touchdown was in 1997, but then again, they also hadn’t played a No. 1 team since 2012. In both instances they lost, but not as brutally as they did to the Crimson Tide

“Everybody here wanted to know who the quarterback was going to be, all right? But did anybody write when one of the Southern Cal players said, ‘I wish we knew who was going to play quarterback for them?’

And isn’t that the objective, to make it hard for the other team?”

– ALABAMA COACH NICK SABAN

61

Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley (3) runs after making a catch against Western Kentucky during Alabama’s home opening 38-10 victory over the Hilltoppers in Bryant-Denny Stadium, September 10, 2016.

Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.

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SEPTEMBER 10, 2016 / BRYANT-DENNY STADIUM

ALABAMA WESTERN KENTUCKY

38 10

RECAP:

QUOTABLE:

Jalen Hurts made history against the Hilltoppers, becoming the first true freshman quarterback to start for the Crimson Tide since 1984. He completed 26 of his 36 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns. Still, Western Kentucky was down by only a score midway through the second quarter until Alabama defensive back Eddie Jackson returned one of UA’s two interceptions 55 yards for a score. Western Kentucky finished with 216 passing yards but was limited to 23 rushing yards. The defense carried the Crimson Tide, but a few big plays here and there helped seal the deal. ArDarius Stewart grabbed a 52-yard catch, Calvin Ridley had a 51-yarder and Gehrig Dieter had a 40-yarder.

“That’s not the kind of football we want to play here, and that’s not the kind of football team we want to have. I don’t know that I’ve ever been this disappointed after winning a game, maybe ever.”

– ALABAMA HEAD COACH NICK SABAN

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Quarterback Jalen Hurts leaps into the end zone during the Crimson Tide’s game with Ole Miss on Sept. 17, 2016. Hurts was ruled out of bounds on the play.Alabama later scored a touchdown. Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.

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SEPTEMBER 17, 2016 / VAUGHT-HEMINGWAY STADIUM / OXFORD, MISS.

ALABAMA OLE MISS

48 43

Nick Saban leads the Crimson Tide into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium before Alabama’s 48-43 win over Ole Miss in Oxford on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. STAFF PHOTO/GARY COSBY JR.

RECAP:

QUOTABLE:

This was a big one for Alabama after having lost to Ole Miss the previous two seasons. The Crimson Tide trailed at halftime, 24-17, but added 31 points during the second half to escape with the victory. The third quarter really determined the final outcome, as Alabama scored 17 points while Ole Miss could only muster a field goal. Jalen Hurts may have only thrown for 158 yards – far fewer than Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly’s 421 through the air – but he picked up 146 on the ground to finish as Alabama’s leading rusher. Rebels running back Akeem Judd finished with just 45 rushing yards as UA smothered the Ole Miss ground game.

In the end, the Crimson Tide’s run game and three non-offensive touchdowns (courtesy of Eddie Jackson and defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Da’Ron Payne) are what did it. ArDarius Stewart went down with a

“Oh man, I was telling some players I feel like I’ve lost five years of my life. Ole Miss his got a really good team. Welcome to the SEC.” — LINEBACKER SHAUN DION HAMILTON

65

Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick (29) and linebacker Ryan Anderson (22) wrap up Kent State quarterback Mylik Mitchell during their game at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016.

Photo/Laura Chramer

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SEPTEMBER 24, 2016 / BRYANT-DENNY STADIUM

ALABAMA KENT STATE

48 0

RECAP:

QUOTABLE:

Jalen Hurts made history against the Hilltoppers, becoming the first true freshman quarterback to start for the Crimson Tide since 1984. He completed 26 of his 36 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns. Still, Western Kentucky was down by only a score midway through the second quarter until Alabama defensive back Eddie Jackson returned one of UA’s two interceptions 55 yards for a score. Western Kentucky finished with 216 passing yards but was limited to 23 rushing yards. The defense carried the Crimson Tide, but a few big plays here and there helped seal the deal. ArDarius Stewart grabbed a 52-yard catch, Calvin Ridley had a 51-yarder and Gehrig Dieter had a 40-yarder.

“That’s not the kind of football we want to play here, and that’s not the kind of football team we want to have. I don’t know that I’ve ever been this disappointed after winning a game, maybe ever.”

– ALABAMA HEAD COACH NICK SABAN

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Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough (9) enjoys Alabama’s 34-6 homecoming win over Kentucky with offensive lineman Cam Robinson as the leave the field Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.

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OCTOBER 1, 2016 / BRYANT-DENNY STADIUM

ALABAMA KENTUCKY

34 6

RECAP:

QUOTABLE:

The Wildcats were the first and last team to score, but both times field goals as and there was just too much in between for it to make a difference.

Kentucky never scored a touchdown, just like Alabama has never lost a homecoming game under Nick Saban. When defensive back Ronnie Harrison scooped and scored off a Kentucky fumble (55-yard return), Alabama stole the national lead in defensive touchdowns on the season, with this being the fifth. In the end, it didn’t matter that Kentucky had basically the same time of possession (UK’s 30:13 versus UA’s 29:47). Alabama tallied 315 passing yards and 173 rushing yards, with Calvin Ridley scoring twice and Josh Jacobs doing once. Kentucky had 161 passing and 72 rushing.

During the week leading up to the game, backup quarterback Blake Barnett withdrew from school with the intent to transfer.

“That’s probably one of the most physical games I’ve played since I’ve been in college.”

– ALABAMA DEFENSIVE LINEMAN JONATHAN ALLEN

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Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick pulled down a school-record three interceptions during Alabama’s 49-30 win over the Razorbacks in Fayetteville on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016. Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.

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OCTOBER 8, 2016 / DONALD W. REYNOLD RAZER STADIUM / FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS

ALABAMA ARKANSAS

49 30

Alabama linebacker Tim Williams (56) returns a fumble for a touchdown against Arkansas during the first half in Fayetteville on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016. STAFF PHOTO/GARY COSBY JR.

RECAP:

QUOTABLE:

Minkah Fiztpatrick wasn’t going to let any ball get past him. The Alabama defensive back snatched three interceptions, which he returned for 144 total yards with one touchdown. Arkansas quarterback Austin Allen was still able to complete 25 of his 48 passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns. No Arkansas player had ever thrown that much against Alabama. Meanwhile, Jalen Hurts hit 12 of his 17 shots for 253 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. The thing that made a difference, however, was Alabama’s ability to pick up yards on the ground.

UA totaled 253 rushing yards, while Arkansas had 73. The Crimson Tide defense produced five turnovers and six sacks. ArDarius Stewart, who sprained his knee against Ole Miss, returned to lead Alabama with 120 yards on five receptions.

“Definitely disappointing for our secondary. We got to play a lot better. We got the win, but it’s never a good thing to see that many yards passing.”

– ALABAMA DEFENSIVE BACK MARLON HUMPHREY

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Alabama wide receiver ArDarius Stewart runs after making a catch against Tennessee on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.

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OCTOBER 15, 2016 / NEYLAND STADIUM / KNOXVILLE, TENN.

ALABAMA TENNESSEE

49 10

Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough (9), center, poses with teammates, including defensive back Ronnie Harrison (15), after the Crimson Tide’s dominating 49-10 win at Tennessee on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee.

STAFF PHOTO/GARY COSBY JR.

RECAP:

QUOTABLE:

Tennessee had been making a name for itself with the comebacks it pulled off since the beginning of the season, but that came to an abrupt halt once it hosted Alabama. A second-quarter touchdown and a thirdquarter field goal were all that the Volunteers could accomplish. The Crimson Tide’s offense posted five touchdowns, and the defense and special teams each added a score. Ronnie Harrison returned an interception 58 yards for a touchdown, and Eddie Jackson brought a punt back 79 yards to do the same. Jalen Hurts threw for a touchdown and ran for three more. Running back Bo Scarbrough put up the final points after dodging the entire Tennessee defense with the longest run of the game (85 yards). Hurts and Scarbrough both cracked 100 rushing yards (132 and 109, respectively).

“I just think our guys did a really, really good job.

This is as proud of our team that I’ve been all year long in terms of playing a complete game against a very good team, especially in a tough environment.”

— ALABAMA COACH NICK SABAN

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Alabama defensive back Marlon Humphrey (26) reacts after intercepting a pass during the first half against Texas A&M at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016.

Photo/Laura Chramer

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OCTOBER 22, 2016 / BRYANT-DENNY STADIUM

ALABAMA TEXAS A&M

33 14

Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen leaps over a Aggie player to sack Texas A&M quarterback Trevor Knight (8) during the Crimson Tide’s 33-14 win Saturday Oct. 22, 2016. STAFF PHOTO/GARY COSBY JR.

RECAP:

QUOTABLE:

Alabama won, but took a huge hit during the game. Eddie Jackson, a senior safety and returner, fractured his leg during the fourth quarter to end his season. He had been responsible for three non-offensive touchdowns on the season and was a leader on defense. Other than that, the Aggies took a one-point lead immediately after halftime, but once the Crimson Tide pulled back ahead, it was game over. Jonathan Allen broke into the end zone on a 30-yard fumble return. Jalen Hurts scored off a 37-yard run after throwing a 5-yard pass to tight end O.J. Howard and a 4-yard pass to Calvin Ridley, both for touchdowns. The victory ended up being Nick Saban’s 100th career win against SEC opponents.

“Eddie was a fantastic player for us and a great leader. I think he was an All-American player as a safety, at least in my book. We’re certainly going to miss him, but what a great player, what a great competitor, and what a great guy to have in the program for the time he’s been here.”

– ALABAMA COACH NICK SABAN

75

LSU running back Leonard Fournette (7) is bottled up by the Crimson Tide defense during Alabama’s 10-0 win over LSU in Baton Rouge on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016. Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr. 76

NOVEMBER 5, 2016 / TIGER STADIUM / BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

ALABAMA LSU

10 0

Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster celebrates following the Crimson Tide’s 10-0 win over LSU in Tiger Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016. STAFF PHOTO/GARY COSBY JR.

RECAP:

QUOTABLE:

Absolutely nothing happened until the fourth quarter, at least not on the scoreboard. It remained blank until Jalen Hurts scrambled for the only touchdown of the game on a 21-yard run. Adam Griffith came out later to make a 25-yard field goal and guarantee Alabama the victory. The Crimson Tide’s stats outweighed those of the Tigers, with UA tallying 216 rushing yards compared to LSU’s meager 33, and 107 passing yards compared to LSU’s 92, but Hurts also threw an interception and lost a fumble to delay Alabama’s success. The Tigers’ defense made stops at crucial moments, as did the Crimson Tide. It was a defensive battle to see which team could finally score – ultimately, one touchdown was all that was needed.

“This is the reason I came to Alabama – LSU-Alabama. It feels good just to be a part of the rich history and long history of the rivalry.”

— ALABAMA DEFENSIVE LINEMAN JONATHAN ALLEN

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Alabama wide receiver Trevon Diggs (7) scores a touchdown against Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Photo/Laura Chramer

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NOVEMBER 12, 2016 / BRYANT-DENNY STADIUM

ALABAMA MISSISSIPPI STATE

51 3

Alabama wide receiver ArDarius Stewart runs for a 67-yard touchdown during the first half against Mississippi State at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. The Tide defeated the Bulldogs 51-3. STAFF PHOTO/ERIN NELSO

RECAP: It didn’t take four quarters for Jalen Hurts to make history once again.

The true freshman, on his way to being honored as SEC Offensive Player of the Year, barely needed three to become the first Alabama quarterback to record at least 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in the same game. In the process, Hurts was also responsible for a running score and four touchdown passes. Backup quarterback Cooper Bateman replaced Hurts late in the third quarter and ended up throwing for another touchdown. With the win and Auburn’s loss to Georgia on the same day, Alabama clinched the SEC Western Division title and a spot in the SEC Championship Game.

QUOTABLE: “It’s one of the things that we’ve been wanting to do in trying to develop some confidence in the passing game, and obviously he was able to do that very well. We got the ball to some of our playmakers down the field, and they had the opportunity to make big plays.”

– ALABAMA COACH NICK SABAN

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NOVEMBER 19, 2016 / BRYANT-DENNY STADIUM

ALABAMA CHATTANOOGA RECAP: Alabama wide receiver Gehrig Dieter produced a weird stat line out of this game: three receptions for a single yard and two touchdowns.

He scored both of his touchdowns on 1-yard passes from Jalen Hurts.

Another obscure fact: Chattanooga had a 3-0 lead at the start of second quarter. Once Alabama scored, however, Chattanooga didn’t put up any more points. One of Dieter’s touchdowns didn’t come until the final minutes of the game. Otherwise, the score would not have looked as one-sided. UA coach Nick Saban was worried about this game during days leading up to it, constantly reminding his team to not take overlook the Mocs.

QUOTABLE:

31 3 Alabama defensive back Ronnie Harrison celebrates after making a sack during against Chattanooga at BryantDenny Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016.

STAFF PHOTO/

“When you use the word ‘just’ — ‘just’ racing against this guy; I’m ‘just’ playing this team — you set yourself up for thinking something is going to be easy, and you can be complacent.”

– ALABAMA COACH NICK SABAN

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Alabama running back Damien Harris (34) and offensive lineman Cam Robinson (74) join wide receiver ArDarius Stewart (13) in the end zone after Stewart scored a touchdown during the Crimson Tide’s 30-12 win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016. Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.

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NOVEMBER 26, 2016 / BRYANT-DENNY STADIUM

ALABAMA AUBURN

30 12

Alabama defensive lineman Da´Shawn Hand (9) and linebacker Tim Williams (56) drop Auburn running back Kamryn Pettway for a loss during the Crimson Tide’s 30-12 win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016. STAFF PHOTO/GARY COSBY JR.

RECAP:

QUOTABLE:

All of Auburn’s points came from field goals; four to be exact. The Alabama defense continued to shut its opponent out of the end zone, extending its streak to four games covering the entire month of November. That helped buy the Crimson Tide time to clean up its offense, since Jalen Hurts threw two early interceptions. He ended up completing 27 of his 26 passes for 286 yards. He threw two touchdowns passes – to ArDarius Stewart and running back Damien Harris – and then ran for one more. Adam Griffith also made three field goals. Technically, even if Alabama had lost this game, it would have still kept its ticket to the SEC Championship Game. Except, it was the Iron Bowl and it’s Alabama: losing wasn’t an option. The victory completed an undefeated run through the regular season.

“Anybody that says you can afford to lose a game doesn’t know what it’s like to play sports.”

– ALABAMA RUNNING BACK DAMIEN HARRIS

83

Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough runs the ball downfield during the second half of the SEC Championship Game against Florida at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Alabama defeated Florida, 54-16. Staff Photo/Erin Nelson

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SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME / DECEMBER 3, 2016 / GEORGIA DOME / ATLANTA, GEORGIA

ALABAMA FLORIDA

54 16

Alabama players hoist the SEC Championship trophy following their 54-16 win over Florida in the Georgia Dome on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. STAFF PHOTO/GARY COSBY JR.

RECAP:

QUOTABLE:

Every Alabama unit — offense, defense and special teams — scored at least one touchdown. Three running backs scored: Josh Jacobs, Bo Scarbrough (twice) and Derrick Gore. Gehrig Dieter caught a touchdown pass. Minkah Fitzpatrick returned an interception for score. Adam Griffith nailed two field goals. Jacobs brought a blocked punt back for a touchdown, the first time anyone has done so in an SEC Championship Game. It was one thing after another. Florida finished with zeor rushing yards. The Gators did score a touchdown, the first Alabama had allowed since Texas A&M. On the upside, linebacker Reuben Foster was named the MVP. On the downside, linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton sustained a season-ending knee injury during the third quarter. He was the Crimson Tide’s second-leading tackler at the time.

“This is something I’ve participated in a few times, and other than a national championship game, there’s nothing better. Just can’t tell you how proud I am of our players.”

– ALABAMA COACH NICK SABAN

85

Defensive backs Anthony Averett (28) and Marlon Humphrey celebrate after a big play during the College Football Playoff semifinal game at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta on Dec. 31, 2016.

Staff photo/Gary Cosby Jr.

86

PEACH BOWL / DECEMBER 31, 2016 / GEORGIA DOME / ATLANTA, GEORGIA

ALABAMA WASHINGTON

24 7

Alabama defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson (54) tackles Washington running back Lavon Coleman (22) in the first half of the Peach Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal in Atlanta, Ga. on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016. STAFF PHOTO/ERIN NELSON

RECAP:

QUOTABLE:

Woof. Alabama’s offense had 11 penalties for a loss of 66 yards. Jalen Hurts was sacked five times and threw for a season-low 57 yards.

Together, Bo Scarbrough and the Crimson Tide’s defense carried the team. Scarbrough was unstoppable, plowing into the end zone on 18and 68-yard runs. He finished with a game-high 180 rushing yards on 19 carries. The defense shut down the Huskies after their first and only touchdown early in the game, allowing just 44 yards on the ground and 194 through the air. Linebacker Ryan Anderson snagged an interception and returned it 26 yards to score. It all unfolded in front of 75,995, the most to ever see a football game in the Georgia Dome. Scarbrough earned offensive MVP honors. Anderson received defensive MVP honors

“It’s a little bit like running a marathon, which you get at the 20-mile mark and you still feel like you’re only halfway there. But we got more miles to go.”

– ALABAMA COACH NICK SABAN

87

Alabama defensive lineman Da´Shawn Hand (9) tries to block a pass by Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during Clemson’s 35-31 victory over Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship game in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Monday, January 9, 2017. Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP JANUARY 9, 2017 / RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM / TAMPA, FLORIDA

CLEMSON ALABAMA

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Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough (9) leaps into the end zone for his second touchdown of the first half during the College Football Playoff National Championship game in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Monday, January 9, 2017. STAFF PHOTO/GARY COSBY JR.

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Alabama’s perfect season came to an abrupt halt with just one second left on the national championship clock with a Clemson touchdown reception. Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson exploited Alabama’s secondary, tallying 420 passing yards. While Watson thrived, UA quarterback Jalen Hurts struggled. The true freshman was unable to find success through the air, completing 13 of his 31 passes for 131 yards. Bo Scarbrough showed promise for the Crimson Tide, scoring two touchdowns in the first half, but he went down with leg injury during the third quarter. He didn’t return, but still finished with a game-high 93 rushing yards. One big flashback to the previous year was a 68-yard touchdown pass to wide-open tight end O.J. Howard, who was the 2016 MVP,. That, and the fact both games were decided in the final moments.

“One game doesn’t define a team, and I think our team demonstrated time and time again this year that they were winners. I’m extremely disappointed that we didn’t have a better outcome, but I’m also at the same time very proud of what this group of young men was able to accomplish.”

– ALABAMA COACH NICK SABAN

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Cecil Hurt

erspective isn’t always easy to obtain. Sometimes it can be painful to reach a point where you can see more clearly. Sometimes, ironically, you have to stumble.

The final game of Nick Saban’s first decade at Alabama will remembered in most of America as a classic, perhaps the most exciting championship game since the championship game era began. In Tuscaloosa, it will be remembered differently.

One positive effect may come of falling just short with a great team: it highlights the incredible achievement that came before it. Winning the national championship isn’t just a function of recruiting some good players and rolling them onto the field. Every year presents its own challenges, but every year is challenging. Some teams have great talent without great leadership. Others have great leadership, but just enough flaws in the talent level to make them vulnerable. There are rare years in which a team might have great leaders and great talent and still not win, because of luck (injuries, scheduling) or because you run into an opponent that’s just a tiny bit better. That’s what happened in 2016. That’s why every year that it does not happen should be savored.

No coach, not the greatest of all time, whoever you perceive that to be, can win the championship every year. No modern-day coach has won as many as three in a row, although Paul “Bear” Bryant loyalists will always contend that a title was stolen away in 1966. The pinnacle for a coach isn’t necessarily measured in titles won. The true measure of a program, and the coach he builds is, is that, year in and year out, they can compete for championships. That means that one year’s disappointment can become the fuel for the next year’s success. That was Saban’s message from the outset - “this is not the end, this is the beginning.” That’s where Alabama stands after Saban’s first decade. Not at some sort of end, but at another promising beginning.

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Around here, hugs are more common than handshakes. Neighbors watch out for each other. Friends are family, and tailgates are family reunions.

Here, we’re known to pull together in the face of challenge, support one another in times of need. And when the health of our community is at stake, we rally.

We rally, because this place and its people deserve exceptional care. We deserve the best modern medicine has to offer, delivered close to home, day-in and day-out.

The DCH Foundation is committed to delivering this standard. Our work is bigger than funding a new hospital wing or a fancy piece of technology. It’s about building the capacity to move all our lives—and our home—forward.

Because nothing is more important than your health.

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www.theDCHfoundation.org

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