"We got off on the wrong foot": Former Alabama RB Najee Harris hilariously remembers going toe-to-toe with Nick Saban
Former Alabama Crimson Tide running back Najee Harris shared some of his memories in Tuscaloosa. In particular, he recalled his relationship with legendary Bama head coach Nick Saban.
Speaking to AL.com, Harris shared that while his relationship with Saban eventually became special, it had a rocky start.
"Me and Saban had a special relationship. It ain't the common athletes' relationship. ... We had a lot of differences at first. We got off on the wrong foot at first. Had a lot of arguments," Harris said.
Harris also shared that Saban would get on Harris for constantly getting into fights in practice.
The two argued and struggled to see eye to eye, and this was something that would be part of their relationship throughout Najee's whole time in Tuscaloosa.
However, while this relationship may have been rocky, it turned into a special one. Harris was also able to prove himself to be a strong player and leader and found himself heading for the record books in Tuscaloosa.
Najee Harris became an Alabama great
During his freshman year, Najee Harris joined what was a highly talented running back room which featured the likes of Josh Jacobs and Damien Harris. This meant that Najee did not have to do a lot that season, so he only recorded 370 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns.
This included 64 yards in the Crimson Tide's successful appearance in that year's national championship game against the Georgia Bulldogs.
His sophomore year was very much similar to his freshman year, due to Jacobs and Harris still being on the Alabama roster. However, when those two players departed for the NFL a season later, Najee Harris finally had his opportunity to become the Crimson Tide's lead running back.
The 2019 season was his junior year and his breakout season. After two years of being in the shadows, Harris exploded, recording 1,224 rushing yards and scoring 20 touchdowns as he became one of college football's top running backs.
However, while his junior year was good, his senior year would put him into the record books. Harris recorded 1,466 rushing yards and scored 30 touchdowns in a season where he would be a key part of the offense that led the Crimson Tide to another national championship.
In total, Najee Harris rushed for 3,843 yards and scored 57 total touchdowns during his four years in Tuscaloosa. To this day, he holds the record for the most career total touchdowns in the history of the Alabama Crimson Tide.