Nick Saban kept things short and sweet during Wednesday night’s post-practice press conference, as he spoke to reporters for the final time before Saturday’s matchup against FCS opponent Chattanooga. Here’s a transcript of what he said as well as my takes on his comments.
Opening Statement
“We’re trying to emphasize with the players — and they’ve responded fairly well — but the number one focus this week needs to be on this game. We need to take care of business in this game. I got out the 2016 game, which was the last time we played these guys, and the score was like 3-0 midway through the second quarter and we were behind. Just about all the players out there playing were really good players. Most of them play in the NFL.
“Having your mind right, having the right focus on what you want to accomplish and what you want to do, having the right passion for how bad you want to do it, and having the mental toughness to handle tough and difficult situations, handling hard, I think is really, really important. We need to focus on what we need to do to take care of business in this game, and the players have been pretty good about that so far.”
Tony’s take: Saban seemed in a bit of an irritable mood. Perhaps he’s having a difficult time keeping his players focused on Chattanooga with bigger games on the horizon. It will be interesting to see how focused Alabama is for Saturday’s 11 a.m. CT kickoff inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Injury update on Deontae Lawson, Jaylen Key and Jermaine Burton
“Jermaine Burton is fine. He’s practiced. Jaylen and (Deontae) are both moving around, running, rehabbing, getting close to being ready to practice and play. I’d say it’s still pretty questionable as to whether they can make it to the game. If they can’t practice tomorrow — if guys can’t Thursday, we don’t think they’re healthy enough to play in the game, so we’ll see what comes back tomorrow.”
Tony’s take: Burton recovered from the illness that kept him out last week and will play against Chattanooga. Lawson (ankle) and Key (thigh) could probably play but won't since there’s no reason to risk them against FCS competition. Expect both starting defenders to be back for the Iron Bowl next week.
On Roydell Williams
“Roydell is a great team guy. He’s a really good special teams player, great character. I think he loves Alabama. He loves his teammates. He’s a really good teammate. Been very productive every opportunity that he’s gotten, whether it’s to play running back or do something on special teams, be a kickoff returner. He’s always the first one to step up. He’s always got a smile on his face. And I think he’s a great example for guys that sort of persevere in their career and overcome obstacles and become very successful because of that. Because I think that’s probably one of the ingredients you need to have to be successful.”
Tony’s take: This could be Roydell Williams’ last game inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the senior take advantage of his COVID year and return for another season.
That route paid off for Brian Robinson Jr. in 2021 when he ran for 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns en route to becoming a third-round pick the following yer. Now he’s the starting running back for the Washington Commanders.
Would another year allow Williams to achieve similar success? Alabama will likely lose Jase McClellen to the draft this offseason, which would open up the starting role at running back. When asked this week, Williams said he’s considering coming back for another year. However, he’s waiting until after the season to sit down and discuss that with Saban.
On Chattanooga’s wide receivers
“First of all, the quarterback’s a really good player. I think the guy was at UCLA for four years or something like that, so he’s a major college passer. He’s very smart, makes good decisions. All these guys (have a) good skill set. I’d say they’re on the level of SEC receivers. They throw a lot of RPOs and a lot of advantaged rows, so these guys get a lot of touches in games depending on how you’re playing on defense. So it’s a talented group, and they have one of the best offenses in their league, their division, whatever you want to call it, in the country.”
Tony’s take: The threat level for a Saban eruption was higher than usual Wednesday night. No one wants to be on the wrong side of a cupcake-week rant, and there are only so many questions to ask the head coach heading into a matchup like this. Faking interest in Chattanooga for a story that likely will never be written is a safe way to avoid any trouble.
On Malachi Moore
“Malachi’s always been a guy that we have a lot of confidence in. We always had a lot of trust that he’s a smart player, can play multiple positions. Every time that he’s had to play, he’s played extremely well. And last year, he played mostly in dime when we played dime. This year, he’s playing all the time, safety and Star. But I’ve never ever considered Malachi, in his entire career since he's been here as a freshman, as not being a starter and a very good one that we could trust and rely on to go out and do a really good job for us. And he’s never disappointed us.”
Tony’s take: Technically Moore started only one game last season, but it’s easy to understand what Saban means when he said he’s never seen the versatile defensive back as anything but a starter.
Since arriving at Alabama in 2020, Moore has started 29 games over 49 appearances. He’s spent the majority of that time in the slot but also has the ability to drop back to safety has he has done the past two weeks while helping fill in for Key.
While Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold might have higher draft stock, Moore's mixture of experience, leadership and versatility makes him perhaps the most valuable piece to Alabama’s secondary.
Opening Statement
“We’re trying to emphasize with the players — and they’ve responded fairly well — but the number one focus this week needs to be on this game. We need to take care of business in this game. I got out the 2016 game, which was the last time we played these guys, and the score was like 3-0 midway through the second quarter and we were behind. Just about all the players out there playing were really good players. Most of them play in the NFL.
“Having your mind right, having the right focus on what you want to accomplish and what you want to do, having the right passion for how bad you want to do it, and having the mental toughness to handle tough and difficult situations, handling hard, I think is really, really important. We need to focus on what we need to do to take care of business in this game, and the players have been pretty good about that so far.”
Tony’s take: Saban seemed in a bit of an irritable mood. Perhaps he’s having a difficult time keeping his players focused on Chattanooga with bigger games on the horizon. It will be interesting to see how focused Alabama is for Saturday’s 11 a.m. CT kickoff inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Injury update on Deontae Lawson, Jaylen Key and Jermaine Burton
“Jermaine Burton is fine. He’s practiced. Jaylen and (Deontae) are both moving around, running, rehabbing, getting close to being ready to practice and play. I’d say it’s still pretty questionable as to whether they can make it to the game. If they can’t practice tomorrow — if guys can’t Thursday, we don’t think they’re healthy enough to play in the game, so we’ll see what comes back tomorrow.”
Tony’s take: Burton recovered from the illness that kept him out last week and will play against Chattanooga. Lawson (ankle) and Key (thigh) could probably play but won't since there’s no reason to risk them against FCS competition. Expect both starting defenders to be back for the Iron Bowl next week.
On Roydell Williams
“Roydell is a great team guy. He’s a really good special teams player, great character. I think he loves Alabama. He loves his teammates. He’s a really good teammate. Been very productive every opportunity that he’s gotten, whether it’s to play running back or do something on special teams, be a kickoff returner. He’s always the first one to step up. He’s always got a smile on his face. And I think he’s a great example for guys that sort of persevere in their career and overcome obstacles and become very successful because of that. Because I think that’s probably one of the ingredients you need to have to be successful.”
Tony’s take: This could be Roydell Williams’ last game inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the senior take advantage of his COVID year and return for another season.
That route paid off for Brian Robinson Jr. in 2021 when he ran for 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns en route to becoming a third-round pick the following yer. Now he’s the starting running back for the Washington Commanders.
Would another year allow Williams to achieve similar success? Alabama will likely lose Jase McClellen to the draft this offseason, which would open up the starting role at running back. When asked this week, Williams said he’s considering coming back for another year. However, he’s waiting until after the season to sit down and discuss that with Saban.
On Chattanooga’s wide receivers
“First of all, the quarterback’s a really good player. I think the guy was at UCLA for four years or something like that, so he’s a major college passer. He’s very smart, makes good decisions. All these guys (have a) good skill set. I’d say they’re on the level of SEC receivers. They throw a lot of RPOs and a lot of advantaged rows, so these guys get a lot of touches in games depending on how you’re playing on defense. So it’s a talented group, and they have one of the best offenses in their league, their division, whatever you want to call it, in the country.”
Tony’s take: The threat level for a Saban eruption was higher than usual Wednesday night. No one wants to be on the wrong side of a cupcake-week rant, and there are only so many questions to ask the head coach heading into a matchup like this. Faking interest in Chattanooga for a story that likely will never be written is a safe way to avoid any trouble.
On Malachi Moore
“Malachi’s always been a guy that we have a lot of confidence in. We always had a lot of trust that he’s a smart player, can play multiple positions. Every time that he’s had to play, he’s played extremely well. And last year, he played mostly in dime when we played dime. This year, he’s playing all the time, safety and Star. But I’ve never ever considered Malachi, in his entire career since he's been here as a freshman, as not being a starter and a very good one that we could trust and rely on to go out and do a really good job for us. And he’s never disappointed us.”
Tony’s take: Technically Moore started only one game last season, but it’s easy to understand what Saban means when he said he’s never seen the versatile defensive back as anything but a starter.
Since arriving at Alabama in 2020, Moore has started 29 games over 49 appearances. He’s spent the majority of that time in the slot but also has the ability to drop back to safety has he has done the past two weeks while helping fill in for Key.
While Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold might have higher draft stock, Moore's mixture of experience, leadership and versatility makes him perhaps the most valuable piece to Alabama’s secondary.
