“He’s staring in my soul”: Alabama QB Jalen Milroe recalls his favorite Nick Saban moment

Six-time national champ Nick Saban is known for his passion and often strict demeanor. The former Alabama head coach has made the headlines several times for being angry during or after a game.

One example of one such moment is when coach Saban spanked Alabama's quarterback and a redshirt freshman at the time, AJ McCarron, during a matchup against Mississippi State for throwing an ill-advised pass. After the game, when asked about the situation, Saban simply said that football is for tough people and that he did not think anything about the incident.

In a conversation on the show "Next Up With Adam Breneman," talking about a potentially similar situation, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe recalled one of his favorite moments with coach Saban during the 2023 Iron Bowl:

"We all know how the game transpired to the final seconds of the game, and so I get off the field to head off, and you know, I'm trying to find coach, he was like, 'So, what was that?' I was like, 'I don't know.' I mean, I just executed the play, and so, like he had a like stern face, as red as it can be, looking at me, like staring in my soul, I'm thinking, I got in trouble.

"Like, I never seen him look at me like that, that way. He stared in my soul, mad, mad. I just, I just froze. He started smiling, gave me a big old hug, that was my favorite moment." (15:20)

Jalen Milroe on Kalen DeBoer's takeover at Alabama

After Nick Saban announced his retirement on January 11, 2024, both Alabama fans and players were worried about their future. Who was going to replace coach Saban after numerous achievements and 17 triumphant years? However, those worries were soon put to rest as Kalen DeBoer was announced as the Crimson Tide's next head coach.

Despite DeBoer's rocky start at Alabama, where many athletes decided to enter the transfer portal, the former Washington head coach has been able to turn the momentum in his favor. He has been making great progress with the program, be it in terms of recruitment or making personal relationships with the players.

During the same interview with Adan Breneman, Jalen Milroe heaped praise on Kalen DeBoer's takeover at Alabama and appreciated his coaching mindset:

"It’s been great. You know, everything’s a process. So you know, initially, with having him here, you know, whenever he got here, and then until now, it’s been great for us. Great as a team. One thing I can say about having Coach DeBoer here, just the personal aspect of it with him, and as a quarterback, he’s offensive-minded.

"I’ve been able to grow, each and every day, with him as our head coach. Love being around him. He’s been a great person around me. You know, he speaks belief into me every single day. He speaks about how confident he is in me."

Fans will be intrigued to see how the Alabama team performs under Kalen DeBoer's leadership in their first no-Nick Saban year in the upcoming college football season.