re: Matt Mauck comments on Nick Saban

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Two days after a tornado ravaged Tuscaloosa and left more than 50 people dead, Nick Saban met with his players and told them they needed to be more than only a football team.

The worst tornado in Alabama history created more than $2 billion worth of damage and Saban wanted his team out helping those suffering from the traumatic event. He told them even being out in the community could help lift the spirits of a town that supports Alabama football with all its might. With the help of sports psychologist Dr. Kevin Elko, Saban focused on a phrase to guide his players: "I'm not looking for blessing to come to my life; I'm looking to be a blessing in someone's life."

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It was a charge that he had to live up to, too. He had to do more than provide financial support to heal a broken community; he had to be out there to provide hope. He had to be there emotionally for Carson Tinker, his starting long snapper, who lost his girlfriend Ashley Harrison to the storm. Terry Saban told people it was the first time her husband stopped thinking about football since he started playing when he was 11-years old.

"People don't know Nick Saban well; you maybe see him in press conferences," Elko said. "He was incredible, just an unbelievable leader. He did one of the best pieces of leadership work you ever could imagine."

In the aftermath of the storm, Saban and his team built 17 houses in the area. Alabama football players were active around town, helping out in any way they could, whether that was repairing roofs or carrying away debris. When the football season started in September, they were tasked with uplifting a community on Saturdays. There were bumps along the way, particularly a home loss to LSU in the "Game of the Century," but come January Saban was hoisting Alabama's 14th national championship trophy. After an icy Gatorade bath and hugs with players, Saban told an ESPN reporter he thought it'd give "everybody a lot of joy and spirit and hope."

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"We are going to continue to work and move forward and try to help people restore their lives in our community," he said. "Things like this make everybody happy and give them a lot of hope."

Nearly five years after the tornado leveled Tuscaloosa on April 27, 2011, the experience continues to reverberate with the Alabama head coach. That day forever changed Saban and made him into more of a "we" guy, says Elko. Saban never shied away from doing charity work -- his Nick's Kids foundation had long been a priority -- but the tornados encouraged him to be more active in the community.

That's not always easy for the Alabama head coach. At his core, Saban is introverted and not particularly comfortable hobnobbing and working the fundraising circuit. He doesn't enjoy talking about himself to strangers, but the experience forced him to overcome it for the sake of helping others. Lars Anderson, who wrote "The Storm and The Tide," said his inner circle of friends grew from five to 10 people in the aftermath of the tornado.

"It doesn't sound like a lot, but he let more people into his life," Anderson said. "And it made him realize the power he wields in this state and really just how he can comfort people in a way that no one else can as the head coach at Alabama."

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Many looked to him for guidance immediately following the tornado.

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Matt was not some immature college kid back then, as he played pro baseball for a few yrs before coming to LSU. What he's saying about Saban & his relationships with players is common knowledge here in Baton Rouge. His personality, as a coach & as a person, is well known, locally & nationwide. Certainly you bama ranters here are not going to dispute that this sounds just like him? Matt was simply describing his relationship with his HC.

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You've replied to every post I've made in this thread.

Do you need attention or are you displaying what a shitty troll you can be?

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I've never heard this.

Sounds interesting, do you have a link or something?

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“Did the tornado of 2011 change you?”

“I think it did,” Saban said. “I tried to be a little more empathetic. I thought it was important for our players to know how fragile life could be and to help others. I tried to be a little less closed off.”

That was a change in direction from someone best known for his obsessive football personality.

According to the sports psychologist that helped Saban develop the “blessing” directive issued to the football team, the tragedy provided a chance for the “real” Nick Saban to shine through adversity:

“People don’t know Nick Saban well; you maybe see him in press conferences,” Dr. Kevin Elko said. “He was incredible, just an unbelievable leader. He did one of the best pieces of leadership work you ever could imagine.”

Talty’s report reveals that, in total, Saban and his team helped rebuild 17 houses and spent countless hours clearing debris.

But as far as Saban is concerned, the greater impact came off the field in the way it changed his outlook on his role in the community. The once guarded personality even expanded his tight inner circle to include some new people to help with outreach.

Talty’s piece cites a couple of well-connected people that noticed that change:

“It doesn’t sound like a lot, but he let more people into his life,” author Lars Anderson said. “And it made him realize the power he wields in this state and really just how he can comfort people in a way that no one else can as the head coach at Alabama.”

His players noticed a change in his outward involvement, too.

“I noticed he became more charitable after that,” former Alabama kicker Cade Foster said. “You hear more stories of him donating his time and money through his Nick’s Kids program and through the Catholic center on campus. So perhaps it did. Looking back, I’m sure it did.”

Today, Saban is quietly active in many different areas of outreach. Just don’t expect to hear him talking about it much publicly – that’s not his style.

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I dont really think Nick's style appeals as much to a kid today.

For awhile, you went to Alabama if you wanted to win a national title and catapult yourself into the NFL, now you can do the same with Dabo.

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He is there to coach. Not make friends. frick feelings.

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Kids want a coach who will be chummy with them and let them get away with a lot of shite. That's not Saban's way. If you play at Alabama, you're asked to put in the effort and become men.

Dabo can get away with his kids doing the minimum for 90% of the season. The ACC has made sure of that by being a garbage conference. You get another 3-4 years to remain as boys.

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You’re a Propaganda pimp.

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His personality, as a coach & as a person, is well known, locally & nationwide. Certainly you bama ranters here are not going to dispute that this sounds just like him? Matt was simply describing his relationship with his HC.

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