“Thats how you get benched”: When Pat Surtain II opened up about facing Nick Saban’s wrath

Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the 2024 season. It was the second time he was named to the First-Team All-Pro team and the third time to the Pro Bowl. Since arriving in the NFL in 2021, Surtain has been a standout for the Broncos on the defensive side of the ball.

However, before the NFL, he was coached by Nick Saban as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Surtain was a member of Alabama from 2018 to 2020, and they won a National Championship together in 2020. While they had success together, their relationship was sometimes tumultuous. Before the 2024 NFL season started, Pat Surtain recalled a time he was cursed out by Saban while speaking to "The 25 10 Show":

"I forgot the call. I'm trying to get the call from my other teammates and they're like, they're not telling me none. So I'm playing I think I'm supposed to carry the receiver vertical. I buzz out to the flat, receiver wide open for a TD. I'm like, 'Damn what happened.' Everybody on my a*s like, 'Pat wtf you doing man, you're not locked in.'

"Next think I know I see Saban, you know he got that little walk to him. He got like a bucket hat on. Next thing I know he slammed it on the ground and he's like, "God damn it Patrick, that's not the standard I hold you to,' and this and that, 'That's bullsh*t. You don't know the call. That's how you get benched.'"

Surtain went on to talk about how Saban was much more mellow in a meeting after the game:

"We in the meeting then he like try to be all soft tone like, "Listen man, I know your potential, I know what you could do. Just know, it's a reason why I did that.""

Pat Surtain and Nick Saban are on good terms, and the respect is obvious. Saban also congratulated Surtain in a video for his DPOY win.

Pat Surtain speaks about his goals for next season

While Pat Surtain is proud of his achievements, he is looking ahead to next season. After winning the award, he spoke about how winning the DPOY motivates him to achieve his next goal, winning the Super Bowl.

"It definitely feeds the hunger. It’s somewhere where I want to be through the duration of my career," Surtain said. "That’s the next big achievement that I want to get to, the Super Bowl. The main thing is winning in this league, and I want to reach that point where I’ll be able to have a chance to hoist a Lombardi. That’s something that I’ll look forward to for sure."

The Broncos are on the right track to contending for the Super Bowl, as the team unexpectedly made the playoffs in QB Bo Nix's first season with the team.

Although they lost in the first round, they still have a good young team and if Denver can add the right players in free agency and the 2025 NFL draft, their Super Bowl window could be opening.