TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — In the wake of what many have called the worst week in National Football League history, University of Alabama coach Nick Saban used it to make a point to his players on Thursday.

Saban said during his weekly radio show Thursday night that he gave a long talk to his players earlier in the day about using good judgment.

“In the 42 years I’ve been doing this, I don’t know, players are probably at the lowest level when it comes to respect of the public based on all the things that have happened, whether it is domestic violence or whatever it is,” Saban said.

The NFL’s public-relations nightmare began when a video turned up showing running back Ray Rice punching his wife and knocking her out in an elevator, for which he had only been issued a two-game suspension. Combined with allegations of child abuse by Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, and other incidents, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been sharply criticized for the league’s handling of domestic-violence issues.

On Wednesday, Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston was suspended for the first half of this Saturday’s game against Clemson for standing on a table in the middle of campus and yelling obscene lyrics derogatory towards women.

Last year’s Heisman Trophy winner has already been accused of rape, arrested for shoplifting and was once stopped by campus police officers with their guns drawn because he was walking around with a pellet gun.

“We use every one of these opportunities to teach our players,” Saban said earlier in the week. “We try to pre-empt the behavior. We probably have 15-20 speakers a year and spend a tremendous amount of money on personal development in all these areas, whether it’s domestic violence type of issues, how to treat other people, how to be a man.

“Drugs, alcohol, agents. All these things that affect young people. I think every opportunity we have where there’s an example of consequences for behavior that’s not what we want to try to develop, we certainly want to use it as a teaching opportunity with our team.”

Saban’s said the price tag for Alabama’s personal development programs last year was $600,000.