Saban on Bama's season: Too many errors on defense, inconsistent running game, sloppy STs

quote:

---

Question: What have you learned about your team after four games?

“I think that we’ve made some improvement as a team, I always think there are areas we would like to continue to improve. I think that we still make too many mental errors on defense. We haven’t been consistent in the way we run the ball on offense. Special team has been good but we have gotten too many penalties on special teams. I think we have almost 150 yards of returns that we took off the board because of some kind of penalty. There is plenty to work on, there is plenty for every individual player to work on, we actually did an assessment of every position and every unit as to what we need to improve on and those are some of the high points.”

Question: On players around the country leaving midseason, what is your reaction to this development in college football?

“I think it’s a little bit of a timing issue. I think once you start a season and you invest a lot of time in helping players — not just in football but in personal development, academic support. When you start the season and everyone is all together, everyone needs to buy in and accept their role on the team and learn and grow with their team. I think there are a lot of lessons to be learned. Some get learned when things happen and even more are learned when things don’t go your way. And then, if it’s in the best interest of the player to go somewhere else at the end of the season then that’s probably a much – from a timing standpoint, a much better way to do it. It will be very difficult for many people to manage what is happening in college football and internally you have guys that are saying, ‘I’m not sure I want to play anymore this year because I’d rather get redshirted.’ Well, I think everyone would sorta of have an obligation to the player to help them academically, athletically, helping them be more successful in life but the player has an obligation too to do what he’s instructed to do. Being on scholarship and all the money that we invest in all the other things to help them be successful, their part of it is to do what they are supposed to do. What if a guy refuses to go to class, just refuses. I mean, what do we do? What if a guy refuses to play? I mean, these are the kinds of things that are happening right now and don’t bode well for the development of players, in terms of what it takes to be successful in life. There are occasions where it is best for a player to go somewhere else but there is a timing element to all that that’s really important and I don’t know how much value a player creates for himself when he walks off after four games.”

Question: Are you having as much fun today as you did during your early years of coaching?

“I feel great, I mean I love the process. I love the challenge of trying to go through every year and developing a team and trying to get guys to be the best version of themselves. It’s the one thing, I feel like, where we can create value through the years helping guys be successful. I mean when you walk off and do nothing, what value do you have? What purpose do you have? I don’t have a very good vision of how I would respond to that, and now I think Miss Terry doesn’t either so I think we are all in here right now.”

Question: So it doesn’t even cross your mind (the end of your coaching career)?

“Age is chronological, I think how old you are is very spiritual. I don’t feel old, maybe think other people think I’m old, but I don’t feel that way. My spirit is good, and as long as it’s good and I feel good, I’m going to keep doing this.”

---