Nick Saban says he was ‘shocked’ by Amari Cooper retirement
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Former Alabama coach Nick Saban shared some praise for Amari Cooper after he announced his retirement this week.
Cooper was a top prospect when he arrived at Alabama at the height of the Saban era in Tuscaloosa. He was on the 2012 team that won the national title and was an All-American in 2014. Cooper also got third in Heisman Trophy voting that season as he amassed 124 catches for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Saban said he was “shocked” to hear the news of Cooper’s retirement after 10 years in the NFL.
“He caught over 100 balls for us, he was fantastic when he played for us,” Saban said on the Pat McAfee Show on Friday. “He was a great competitor. Very quiet guy, maybe a little bit misunderstood sometimes because he was so quiet. But a good person and a great competitor. He’s had a good career. Hate to see people like that not be able to continue to their career for whatever reason, but I’m sure he’s got a good reason to hang it up.”
Here’s video of Saban’s comments:
Cooper played for the Browns and Bills last season. He managed 547 yards in 14 games — the lowest yardage total of his career. He signed with the Raiders back in August before deciding to retire just before the start of the 2025 season.
Cooper made 5 Pro Bowl teams during his decade-long NFL career.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
