Nick Saban Provides Update on Jaylen Waddle: "He Wants To Come Back And Play"

On his weekly radio show, the Crimson Tide coach gave listeners insight into how Jaylen Waddle and Trey Sanders are recovering from their respective injuries

University of Alabama coach Nick Saban returned to the airwaves on Thursday night for his weekly radio show 'Hey Coach' and provided updates to two hurt Crimson Tide players. 

First, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who suffered a fractured ankle against Tennessee last month, is rehabbing well and indicated to Saban that we wants to return to action.

“He’s doing great. He really is,” Saban said. “I actually talked to him for a minute today. He was out at practice. He got his cast off today, so he’s in a boot. Now they can start, not doing running type stuff but just rehabbing, massaging, doing some range of motion type stuff that will keep the atrophy down, in those kind of injuries are the most difficult things.

We’re very encouraged. Everybody thinks he is doing really, really well. He’s had a great attitude about it and he’s gonna work hard. He told me that he wants to try to come back and play, but we’re certainly not gonna let that happen until he’s fully 100 percent healthy.”

In four games, Waddle caught 25 passes for 557 yards and four touchdowns.

Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide coach revealed more details surrounding the car accident running back Trey Sanders was in over the first bye weekend back at home in Florida. 

He and his brother were going across an intersection and t-boned causing Sanders to be air-lifted to a local hospital.

"We are very thankful that - he's got some very serious injuries - everything will workout well and he'll make a full recovery," Saban said. "This is probably going to be a several month type thing. He has a hip injury but not the same one that Tua [Tagovailoa[ had so their shouldn't be any question about his recovery. We feel very fortunate."

Highlights from 'Hey Coach':

• Saban says he wants his team to reestablish the mamba mentality that Kobe Bryant had. "We want to come out and dominate the competition." 

• Saban on Will Reichard: He told a story that he called Gene Stallings after the Auburn loss last season, and the former Alabama coach told him to go recruit the best kicker in the country, and Saban responded: "We have the best kicker in the country. He's just hurt." 

• The limited capacity at stadiums hasn't affected how he has coached according to Saban. Says that communication has stayed the same between coaches and players and that it probably affects defensive guys more.

• A Jaylen Waddle update: his cast is off and he is now in a boot. The rehab is going well for him and Waddle has indicated he wants to play, but Saban says that won't happen until he is 100 percent healed.

• Saban says he believes that the days of playing great defense are over because of the rules and how offenses have adjusted. He isn't complaining because his offense does the same thing, it's just a part of the game now.  

• Saban is asked by a caller about Dr. Matt Rhea and David Ballou. He raves about the new culture of sports science. "We've had a lot less soft tissues injuries this year than before."

• Saban reveals some more details into Trey Sanders injury suffered in a car accident during the first bye weekend. He was t-boned going across an intersection and hurt his hip severely. A full recovery is expected but it will take months. 

• Saban gets a little riled up talking about a recruiting call he was on before the show. The prospect was telling him he didn't know if he could play at Alabama as a freshman and Saban went on to name so many offensive lineman who played as freshman and were NFL draft picks. He is not the biggest fan of negative recruiting tactics other schools use against the Crimson Tide. "I've never had a general manager ask me if a player played as a freshman."

• Gold compliments Saban and his program's graduation rate and Saban begins discussing how important character and academics are to him in recruiting.  

• Saban says he has been pleased with day-to-day operations and practice over the last weeks but won't know fully until the team takes the field Saturday if momentum is slowed down from the first six weeks.

• He says the players have responded well in practice in the leadup to this game given that they haven't played in almost three weeks. He notes the importance of routine and rhythm is important to everyone's life.

• Saban details the Wildcats' philosophy and says they run the football differently than what his players are use to. He compliments their pass defense, which is ranked second in the SEC.

• Maisel asks Saban if he is relived to play an 'old-school' team like Kentucky this week rather than a new-age offense.

• Saban has now joined the broadcast live in-person at Baumhower's Victory Grille in Tuscaloosa.