"As a black man, I want to say thank you": When Charles Barkley paid tribute to Nick Saban for giving second chance to young athletes
While on the sidelines coaching for Alabama, Nick Saban didn't always appear to be the most gracious team leader. As most coaches do, he got upset when his players made a mistake, but Saban was much more forgiving when it came to molding his players to be better people.
Even someone who attended the school of a bitter rival was able to notice that. In a one-on-one, sit-down conversation in 2016, former Tigers hardwood star Charles Barkley said:
"When I brag about you to Auburn people, they go crazy, and they always say, 'Why? I say, 'Well, No. 1 is winning.' The one thing I wanna say to you as a black man, I really respect when you give other young black men an opportunity after they've screwed up." [3:58]
"Because I always tell people, 'Everybody's an idiot when they're 18. Young kids are gonna make mistakes.' But, as a black man, I just wanna say thank you for giving these young black guys an opportunity — and I know you have taken some heat, and I thought it was unfair."
Saban is widely regarded as the best college football coach to ever do it. His belief in young men had more than a little to do with his success.
"I think that, look, as a coach, when it comes to football players, we're trying to change their behavior and make them better," Nick Saban said. "As people, we're trying to change their behavior and make them better. And I think everybody can understand if they ever have children of their own, how your children sometimes disappoint you.
"They do things that you wish they didn't do, they embarrass you, but we don't throw them out of the house. We try to come up with ways that we can change their behavior."
Saban added that discipline and punishment are different things. He felt that the media misunderstood his approach, labeling hesitation to drop the hammer on a player as not wanting to put his team behind by doing so.
"They want punitive action," Saban said. "You know, 'Kick the guy off the team.' How does that change his behavior? You know, 'Suspend him for a bunch of games.' You know, he did something in March, now we're gonna suspend him for games in September? I mean, there's a lot of things that you can do in between to help a guy understand or change his behavior."
What did Nick Saban accomplish at Alabama?
Nick Saban's time in Tuscaloosa won't ever be forgotten. It was recently announced that he'll be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame for his efforts, which included a record seven national championships.
Under Nick Saban's direction, the Crimson Tide were a perennial contender. When he retired and Alabama went 9-4, the majority of fans weren't pleased with how things were unfolding. As such, it simply goes to show the high standards he set for the program.
Nick Saban went 201-29 with the Crimson Tide, being ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll in 15 straight seasons. Under his leadership, Alabama won nine SEC crowns. Saban's 47 career first-round draft picks are the most ever.