Tyler Booker responds to Nick Saban’s SEC Championship pick, blocking out ‘some guy who plays golf all day’
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Tyler Booker knows all about trying to block out the noise that comes from the media. However, he’s entering into a new experience this fall.
As Booker and Alabama move forward under new head coach Kalen DeBoer, the recently retired Nick Saban is embarking on his first full season in a broadcasting role for ESPN and the SEC Network. That role included getting his thoughts on the SEC Championship Game matchup to begin the week.
While Saban did say he believes in the Crimson Tide roster and QB Jalen Milroe, there are some concerns related to Alabama. His ultimate pick was an SEC title matchup between Georgia and Texas with Ole Miss as a team to watch. Unsurprisingly, those teams headline the latest SEC Championship odds at SDS’s real money betting apps.
Booker was asked about that prediction from Saban during Alabama’s Wednesday appearance at SEC Media Days. To no surprise, the offensive lineman echoed past sentiments of his former head coach while acknowledging he will not “let a guy who played golf all day determine how I feel.”
Here’s the comment from SDS’s own Connor O’Gara:
Tyler Booker on Nick Saban not picking Alabama to win the SEC:
“He always used to say, ‘Don’t let some guy that lives in their mom’s basement determine how you feel.’ I’m not gonna let a guy who played golf all day determine how I feel.”
— Connor O’Gara (@cjogara) July 17, 2024
To be clear, Booker did not mean any sort of ill intent against Saban with his remark. In fact, it’s the kind of response Saban probably hopes to hear from his former players because it means his message about blocking out the noise took root.
Booker shared a different comment to Saban’s prediction during a Q&A session, saying he didn’t view it as rat poison nor deal in hypotheticals, something he learned from the GOAT.
“Not necessarily. You can’t pay attention to things this early in the year, I don’t deal in hypotheticals,” explained Booker. “He taught me that so he would be glad to hear me say that.”
Ultimately, Alabama’s 2024 season will be determined on the field, and all signs point to a competitive roster and group under Kalen DeBoer’s first season in Tuscaloosa. It will also be of particularly interest to see how the Tide fares during DeBoer’s first version of the Alabama vs. Auburn Iron Bowl late in the year.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
