Alabama players, mini-Sabans, channel their coach, talk about ,the process
Alabama players, mini-Sabans, channel their coach, talk about ,the process:-O.J. Howard almost didn’t notice that the words coming out of his mouth sounded so familiar. He was home for Christmas, and his mother had just started talking about something going on later in the week.
“Mom, just be where your feet are,” the Alabama senior tight end said. “Take your time. Take it one day at a time.”
He then caught himself. He’d subconsciously channeled his inner Nick Saban, repeating some of his favorite sayings. And Howard is not the only player who does this; about a dozen teammates admitted this week to using Sabanisms regularly in their daily non-football lives.
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“ ‘The process’ just (keeps) slipping out of my mouth,” junior offensive lineman Cam Robinson said. “I (am not) necessarily trying to use it. I think that’s just how Coach Saban has groomed us so much and he’s drilled it into our mind, the things that we need to know to be successful. We’re probably just like mini-Sabans running around. Probably not as intense, but, I mean, he rubs off on us a lot.”
Said redshirt junior offensive lineman Bradley Bozeman: “He’s right, though. This is a process, and we have to buy into what he says. Everything works out.”
Lots of regular activities become processes when you are a mini-Saban. For example, redshirt senior defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson described how that mentality can be applied to mundane household tasks.
“If he’s supposed to take the trash out or something, I might turn to my brother and say, ‘Do your job,’ ” Tomlinson said, chuckling. It’s not a demand as much as a reminder to be responsible for oneself.
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What players — particularly the veterans — have learned to appreciate about these catchphrases or mantras is how versatile they can be. Howard loves them because they can be applied to everyday life, from the way to approach studying for an exam to limiting the anxiety that might come alongside an important meeting four days away. Be where your feet are.
Running back Damien Harris, a sophomore, said he constantly catches himself repeating what Saban preaches to his players to non-Alabama football friends. They come across sometimes as clichés, but for the Crimson Tide there’s also clear meaning behind each one.
source:-http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2016/12/29/alabama-nick-saban-the-process-peach-bowl/95959292/
