"Fighting for your country versus being a mercenary" - Nick Saban's comparison about college football elicits groans from Alabama friendly crowd
Nick Saban was the star of a roundtable put on in Mobile, Alabama, after the first day of practice. At the event, dubbed the "Senior Bowl Summit," Kirk Herbstreit interviewed numerous guests such as Robert Saleh, Dan Campbell, Steve Sarkisian, Bryan Harsin, and yes, head coach Saban.
Saban lamented the college portal system, which he sees as, essentially, a free agency finding its way into the FBS. While talking about the point, the head coach made a comparison between college football and the NFL that made even the star-struck Alabama-friendly crowd groan. While the head coach talked about the spirit of the players in college versus the spirit of those playing in the NFL, he said the following:
"The reason that [NFL players] play - it's a game that's about money. 'How much money can I make? That's my job. How long can I play?' That's a little bit different than the spirit of college football, you know, where guys are trying to develop their career and they're having a lot of fun as college players and student athletes. It's just different. It's almost like the difference between fighting for your country and being a mercenary. I don't mean that in a bad way."
Sitting in the crowd, one could hear the collective groans and gasps in the crowd. When public speaking, one of the most basic rules is to avoid politics, religion, or any such controversial hot-button issue. Of course, if the event is about the issue in question, that is one thing.
However, in an undeniably pro-military part of the country, any allusion, especially one comparing a game to fighting and dying for one's country is going to get a response. Up until that point, the head coach had the crowd on his side. He was enticing the crowd with some early jokes and insightful stories. After the line about the military, Saban soon switched to giving advice to parents.
What else did Nick Saban talk about at the Senior Bowl Summit?
The talk touched on many ideas, but those who have attended Parents' Day talks at colleges across the country have likely already sat through a talk like this. Of course, the person giving the advice with college football idioms was different, but the themes were very similar. He encouraged parents to be stricter with their kids and, to above all, teach them to overcome adversity while instilling discipline.
It’s a jam packed house tonight at the Saenger Theater in Mobile where both Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban & Auburn Head Coach Bryan Harsin are speaking with ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit at the Senior Bowl Summit. @abc3340 https://t.co/8kXV3MX0Ps
Across many of the guests, that seemed to be the theme. Steve Sarkisian, who showed up earlier in the night, echoed many of the sentiments that the head coach spoke about. Of course, considering he spent time working for the coach in recent seasons, it makes sense that those philosophies are at the front of his mind.
The fun didn't stop Tuesday in the Azalea City, as both Alabama's Nick Saban & Auburn's Bryan Harsin spoke to fans at the annual Senior Bowl Summit, from the beautiful and historic Saenger theatre in downtown Mobile. @abc3340 https://t.co/meYrwjkZlk
The Senior Bowl Summit was an additional side event put on as a side dish to the Senior Bowl entree. During the week, the best prospects in the country all descended on Mobile, Alabama, to practice and eventually play in Saturday's contest to prove their worth in front NFL scouts, general managers, and head coaches from teams across the league.
The Senior Bowl can be seen live on NFL Network on Saturday, February 5th, at 1:30 PM CT, 2:30 PM EST.