Nick Saban has a reputation for putting players from Alabama into the NFL, and it has become a very effective recruiting tool. The reputation for some of those players as pros, however, bothers the coach.

When radio hosts Brock Huard and Mike Salk of ESPN 710 Seattle brought up the narrative of Alabama players being worn-down by time they reach the pros, Saban emphatically rejected it.

“When you talk to NFL teams, none of them ever say that to me,” Saban responded. “I don’t know where that came from. Eddie Lacy comes out and is rookie of the year as a running back. Where’s the wear and tear? We had 45 guys on NFL rosters last year, which is more than any other college team, so where’s the wear and tear? I don’t see it. Dr. (Lyle) Cain and Dr. (James) Andrews are our team doctors who deal with a lot of NFL players. They monitor what we do with our players.”

Though the Seattle interview focused on the Seahawks drafting DT Jarran Reed (or was at least supposed to), it’s more likely that the worn-down stigma brought up by the hosts could be attached to RB Derrick Henry if he fails to meet expectations in the NFL. Henry was Alabama’s primary back in 2015, logging 395 carries over the course of 15 games. By comparison, RB Kenyan Drake ran the ball 77 times.

Saban said that Alabama keeps a close eye on players’ wear and tear.

“We use a catapult system here, which is a GPS system that measures wear and tear on players. We certainly keep a balance in what we do. We also keep a record of how our players progress through the season and how they finish the season, based on the workload we have. Those players all improve their workload throughout the season. We had the lowest injury rate of any team in our conference, which is the only way we can measure it. I think a lot of those things are not even true.”

Seven members of the Crimson Tide were drafted last month, including C Ryan Kelly (Indianapolis Colts) at No. 18, Henry at No. 45 (Tennessee Titans) and Reed at No. 49.

[H/T: NFL.com]