$70 milion worth Nick Saban's "delusion" about ideal CFB world triggered his Alabama fallout & polarized NIL opinions, claims Jason Whitlock
Former Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban has faced criticism from sports podcaster Jason Whitlock after his NIL comments during Tuesday's roundtable discussion at Capitol Hill. Saban had expressed concerns about the impact of NIL collectives on student-athletes while talking to various senators.
Whitlock, however, took a much sharper stance. On Thursday's episode of his "Fearless" podcast, he accused the legendary coach of being “uninvolved.” He suggested that Saban, who is worth $70 million as per Marca, “lived in a bubble” throughout his tenure at Alabama and thus his apparent issues with the current name, image and likeness landscape.
“I think Nick Saban lived in a bubble of perhaps you would call it delusion,” Whitlock said. “I would call it, he lived in his own little world where he was uninvolved in whatever Alabama players got as extras. He was completely uninvolved and disconnected from that. Boosters handled that. Maybe he knew that they did.”
Whitlock also shed light on things Saban could control. He highlighted Saban's assurances to recruits' parents, promising to develop them as athletes and on their path to professional football careers. Whitlock mentioned Saban's guarantees of academic success, ensuring recruits would obtain a degree from the University.
These points contradict Saban's recent stance on NIL. The NIL deals in 2021 presented a new reality for college athletics, and according to Whitlock, Saban's disapproval of players receiving compensation without "earning" it clashed with his past promises.
“This NIL system now places it on his desk,” Whitlock said. “It's like the boosters now somewhat report to Nick Saban as it relates to passing out the extra goodies and the extra benefits and so those players started bringing those concerns to Nick Saban.
“I can talk to you about football or I can talk to you about academic health. That's what I control. So I believe he's in a bit of his own delusion.”
Whitlock concluded by saying:
“Hey, Jason Whitlock took care of many ball state players while you were coaching there, 'cause that's factual. And they had no idea. I so cared about ball state. There was a time that I took care of as many players as I possibly could and helped them with little different things.”
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Ryan Kelly supports Nick Saban’s take
Saban's criticism of NIL has received support from several quarters. Ryan Kelly, a former Alabama center under Saban and current Indianapolis Colts player, took to social media to defend his coach. In a post on X, Kelly praised Saban's methods for shaping players into well-rounded individuals on and off the field.
He argued that Saban’s approach is missing from the current college football landscape. Kelly wrote that a system prioritizing transforming "boys to men" was the need of the hour.
While some, like Whitlock, view it as a stark contrast to Saban's past recruiting promises, others, like Kelly, see it as a missing piece in a system. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know below.
Read More: "Rich will get richer and poor more poorer": Nick Saban accuses modern NIL-era of brewing "caste system" by degrading spirit of college football