“They don't try to kill us” — When Jahmyr Gibbs shared differences between NFL and Nick Saban’s intense practice sessions

Jahmyr Gibbs is one of the Detroit Lions' top running backs, and at times, he has been the difference between the Lions winning and losing games. But, before he came into the NFL, he was with the Alabama Crimson Tide, which was coached at the time by Nick Saban.

Gibbs, who was with the Crimson Tide for the 2022 season, spoke to the media in 2023, comparing a practice session in Detroit to one run by Saban.

"Saban, he’s probably hitting every day. Full pads. In the heat. For two hours. Here, we get good work in, but they don’t try to kill us. We good.”

Saban had a reputation for pushing his players to the limit in their practice sessions. This was able to make them as game-ready as possible, and it created many NFL-caliber players, many of whom — such as Gibbs and Tua Tagovailoa — are some of the better players in the league.

These sessions, albeit intensive, paid off. During the 17 years that Saban was with the Crimson Tide, his team was able to win six national championships and nine SEC Championships, cementing Saban as one of the greatest college football coaches of all time.

Jahmyr Gibbs on his relationship with Nick Saban

Jahmyr Gibbs also once spoke about his relationship with Saban during his season at Alabama. This occurred during his introductory press conference with the Lions.

"We didn’t talk a whole lot because he’s with the defense, so the only time we saw him with the offense was in team meetings, sometimes throughout practice," Gibbs said. "We practice on different fields, offense and defense. But when we did talk, it was always a great conversation, always positive.

"He’s helped me by how he runs the program. Very detailed in what he does. Very consistent. And time management, he helped me with that, too. So with all that being said, I think it just helped me with this new step ahead.”

Jahmyr Gibbs in College

Gibbs spent three years playing College Football. The first two were with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, where he had some success. During those two seasons, he rushed for 1,206 yards and eight touchdowns, plus 773 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

These performances rapidly improved when he transferred to Alabama, becoming a key part of the team. While the Crimson Tide were unable to make the College Football Playoffs that season, Gibbs rushed for 926 yards and scored seven TDs.

These performances were enough to make him the 12th pick of the 2023 NFL draft, going to the Detroit Lions, where he is a key part of a resurgent franchise.