Tyler Booker claims Nick Saban helped bring out the best out of every player in Alabama

Former Alabama Crimson Tide star Tyler Booker shared insight into how Nick Saban brought out the best in him. Booker, who will enter the 2025 NFL draft after completing his junior year, was among the players who returned to the team last season after Saban retired in January 2024.

On Saturday, Booker spoke with the media at the NFL scouting combine, reflecting on his two seasons playing under Saban.

"It was great," Booker said. "I love playing for Coach Saban because he pushed everybody the same way every day."

"The same way he would get on me is the same way he would get on Bryce Young is the same way he would get on Will Anderson, so he didn't care about who you were. He was always going to get the best out of you no matter what it took."

(3:57 onwards)

Saban's final game with Alabama was a 27-20 loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2024. Kalen DeBoer, who led Washington to a 14-1 record in 2023, left the Huskies to become Alabama’s new head coach. The Crimson Tide dealt with several key transfers ahead of the 2024 season, including wide receiver Isaiah Bond.

Tyler Booker reflects on Alabama's culture after Nick Saban's retirement

At the NFL scouting combine, Booker reflected on his desire to help Kalen DeBoer transition as the team's new head coach. He emphasized that players who had played for Saban were committed to preserving Alabama’s culture.

"At that point, we saw it was up to us to keep the standard alive. Like coach DeBoer, he hadn't been to Alabama before. He had never been under Nick Saban before, so that being so, we had to keep the standard going, and that was something we spoke about all offseason and all season," Booker said (3:14 onwards).

"So I'm really proud of everybody who stayed, everybody who left and came back, but just to really stay and be a team during a hard time like that, it was crucial to us and that bond that we had as a team, like I'll never forget that team. I think that was...even though we had better success in previous years, this is probably my favorite team that I played on just because of how close-knit we were."

Booker helped Alabama finish 9-4 last season. The team suffered its final loss on Dec. 31, falling 19-13 to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

The NFL draft prospect added that he loved everyone on the roster and wished next season’s team the best. DeBoer now faces an offseason challenge in regrouping Alabama for his second season as its coach.