Nick Saban is a slimy, good-for-nothin', deceitful football coach. Of course, those aren't our adjectives for him (what up, Coach?) but that does seem to be the general consensus when you talk to most casual football fans who live outside the state of Alabama where Saban has led the Crimson Tide to the BCS National Championship Game in two out of the last three seasons. But if a story that just came out turns out to be true, we expect all football fans to look at the guy sideways the next time he pops up on their TV.
Earlier today, former Miami Dolphins fullback Heath Evans appeared on a radio show and talked about a time back in 2005 when Saban, who was then the head coach of the 'Fins, allegedly walked over a player who was convulsing on the floor without even acknowledging him or asking if he could help.
"Jeno James, our best offensive lineman at the time, comes in and collapses after practice," Bell said on The Jorge Sedano Show on 790 The Ticket. "Vomiting all kinds of stuff that would make a billy goat puke. Eyes rolled in the back of his head. Myself, about four other lineman are trying to carry him from the locker room to the training room. Obviously it's a moment of panic, everyone, you know, we don't know if this guy's, you know, gonna die. I mean, the whole deal. But he's so big and sweaty and heavy that we actually have to set him down in the hallway between the locker room and the training room. Nick Saban literally just starts walking in, steps over Jeno James convulsing, doesn't say a word, doesn't try to help, goes upstairs, I don't know what he does. But then obviously they get Jeno trauma-offed to the hospital."
Damn. Really, dude? Evans then went on to say that Saban called a team meeting later that day to address the situation—and proceeded to make himself look even more foolish for stepping over James.
"Saban calls a team meeting about 10:30 that night," Evans said. "[He] comes down and says, 'You know, the captain of the ship can never show fear or indecision; we've always gotta have an answer, and so I had to go upstairs. That's why I walked over Jeno like that—I had to collect my thoughts and decide what's best for our team.'"
If this is true, it's obviously not a good look for Saban. But we'll have to wait and see how he responds to Evans before we pass judgement. Let's hope this isn't how things went down, though. Otherwise, we might just have to agree with all of those words that people attach to Saban.
[via Miami New Times]
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