Nick Saban responds to Kirby Smart at Fan Day press conference
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Alabama coach Nick Saban met with reporters prior to the team’s Fan Day on Sunday.
He was asked about Georgia coach Kirby Smart’s recent comments regarding Alabama blocking the graduate transfer of Maurice Smith:
Saban responds to Kirby Smart: "The extent that college athletes can go other places originate with the NCAA and at our conference offices."
— Alex Byington (@_AlexByington) August 7, 2016
Nick Saban on Maurice Smith situation: "We live by the rules that the conference lives by."
— Stephen M. Smith (@CoachingMSmith) August 7, 2016
Saban/transfers 2: "I don't run the conference. Alabama doesn't run the conference. The conference runs Alabama."
— Cecil Hurt (@CecilHurt) August 7, 2016
He also announced an injury:
#Bama CNS: Derrick Gore sprained his knee in practice and will be out a couple weeks.
— Ken Rogers (@DEBamabeat) August 7, 2016
Here’s what else he had to say in the early portion:
Nick Saban: "We are finding the identity of this year's team."
— Stephen M. Smith (@CoachingMSmith) August 7, 2016
Saban: "There's a lot of questions that are going to get answered in fall camp. And that starts with what's this team's identity?"
— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) August 7, 2016
Saban: "Then you have the internal questions that have to get answered, whether it's the QB competition, the RB competition."
— Alex Byington (@_AlexByington) August 7, 2016
Saban: I don't know where we are on a national basis. I don't even know where we are in the Western Division. The team is evolving.
— Aaron Suttles (@AaronSuttles) August 7, 2016
Saban on Alabama's No. 1 ranking: "I don't think we should have rankings until the fifth or sixth game of the year."
— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) August 7, 2016
Saban: I'm not displeased in any way with how we approached the summer or how we came back. I'm encouraged.
— Aaron Suttles (@AaronSuttles) August 7, 2016
#Bama CNS on complacency: Human nature that when things go will, people have a tendency to want to relax, get casual.
— Ken Rogers (@DEBamabeat) August 7, 2016
Saban on QB competition: "I would hope somebody can (win the job) in practice."
— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) August 7, 2016
Saban on WRs: "We have 3-4 guys who have played a lot of football." Mentions freshmen, Gehrig Dieter. "This is a good problem to have."
— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) August 7, 2016
Saban would like to have at least 6 WRs who "can go out there and play winning football for us."
— John Zenor (@jzenor) August 7, 2016
Saban: If a player transfers, he can still work out here, but he can't work out with the team.
— Aaron Suttles (@AaronSuttles) August 7, 2016
Saban on outgoing transfers: "A player can continue to work out, but he doesn't work out as a part of our team if he's planning to leave."
— Alex Byington (@_AlexByington) August 7, 2016
Saban on 2016 freshman class: "I don't like putting these expectations on freshmen. We emphasize development so that they can be the best."
— Stephen M. Smith (@CoachingMSmith) August 7, 2016
Saban: "If you want a future as a football player (professional), you got to want to be the best that you can be." Leaves on that note.
— Stephen M. Smith (@CoachingMSmith) August 7, 2016
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
