Nick Saban commends Kalen DeBoer for getting Alabama to play with more ‘tenacity’ after FSU loss
By Jake Faigus
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Alabama started the season with a shocking loss to Florida State, but they look great now after upsetting Georgia last week. The Crimson Tide deserve a lot of credit after the way they started the season compared to now, and former Alabama head coach Nick Saban said he gives most of the credit to Kalen DeBoer.
Saban credited DeBoer with changing the Crimson Tide’s mindset and getting them to play more urgently than they showed against the Seminoles.
“I think Kalen’s done a fantastic job of taking an expectation that everybody had at Florida State, and the disappointment of that, and getting the team psychologically turned around to get away from playing,” Saban said during Friday’s appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. “I thought they played with a lot of anxiety at Florida State. When the game got 7-7, it seemed like the energy level changed based on everything everybody talks about around here is winning. Winning, winning, winning. Sometimes that can affect the players’ focus on, ‘What do I need to do to win?’ They’re so worried about the outcome that they create a bunch of anxiety because of the expectation.
“You’ve got to figure out a different way for the players to approach the competition—simple things, like playing one play at a time. Don’t focus on the scoreboard; concentrate on the next play. Don’t worry about the crowd, they’re not gonna make any plays in the game. These are things that players can focus on to maintain respect for what it takes to win. I think Kalen has done a fantastic job of that, and you see the different levels of tenacity of players who have competed in the last three games.”
With a big rematch against Vanderbilt this weekend, DeBoer and Alabama can make an even bigger statement and continue their fight for an SEC title.
