“I had a heart attack”: When Nick Saban’s daughter Kristen Saban shared a hilarious joke-come-true with son James

Kristen Saban took her son James to Bryant-Denny Stadium for the Alabama spring game in 2022. James' grandfather Nick Saban was the coach of the Crimson Tide back then, while both of his parents are alumni of the University of Alabama. Unsurprisingly, he was going to grow up and shout “Roll Tide.”

It was always Kristen's dream to see her children run through the tunnel of the stadium and meet Nick Saban on the field. However, the lovely experience ended up giving her a scare.

James was only two years old then, but he had a lot of energy in him. Donning an Alabama jersey, he ran through the tunnel with a lot of vitality. Kristen shared the video of the moment and how she felt on Instagram.

“I’ve always joked about how one day I will let my children run through the tunnel to “go see papaw on his field”…Well, it finally happened and I had a heart attack 🥴😂 Kid can run."

Kristen Saban on the relationship between Nick Saban and James

Nick Saban shares a warm relationship with his grandson James. In a June interview on “The Next Round” with Lance Taylor, Kristen Saban offered a glimpse into their bond, hinting at the special dynamic between the legendary coach and his grandson.

“He's great with Jamie. I think it's fun for him because I have a niece. She's 10 years old, and she was the first grandchild and she was a girl, but now that we have James; he's the boy.

“My dad can play T-ball with him in the driveway, and throw a ball with him and do kind of all the boy stuff. So that's kind of softened him up a little bit, in my opinion. And I think he really, really enjoys it.” (16:10)

Having dealt with thousands of college students in his time at Alabama and elsewhere for decades, spending time with his own grandson offers a different experience. With Saban out of coaching, he is set to enjoy more quality time with his grandchildren during the college football offseason.