Nick Saban Explains the Difficulties of Working with Modern Athletes

Saban noted that focus and avoiding distractions are two of the more challenging obstacles facing athletes today.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Ahead of a speaking engagement with the Monday Morning Quarterback Club, Alabama football coach Nick Saban met with reporters to discuss his team as the Crimson Tide heads into its bye week.

After a 7-1 start to the season, Alabama is still in contention to make a run in the College Football Playoff should it win its four remaining games and potentially win the SEC Championship. That being said, a point that Saban has repeatedly brought up is the lack of focus on discipline on his team.

On Monday morning, Saban's message was no different. When asked about the challenge of relating to the current generation of players, Saban explained what is most difficult.

"Really what we try to do is get guys to focus on what's in front of them," Saban said. "You know, not get affected by external factors, don't worry about what other people say or think or what's on ESPN or what the line of the game is because none of that stuff really matters. It just matters how you play. How you play — playing on a winning team — creates value for you, how you play personally creates value for you.

"So making it simple and just focusing on what's in front of you, which is the next play — no matter how long it lasts. Everybody talks about six seconds. Most of them don't last that long. And then being able to focus on the next play. Then if the last play didn't go very well, it can't affect the next play. And if it went well, that can't affect the next play, either. So that's how you get some kind of consistency in performance and even when you get resistance, you gotta have the poise to overcome it."

Alabama is coming off of a 30-6 win over Mississippi State, but is currently preparing for back-to-back road games against two ranked SEC opponents in No. 18 LSU and No. 15 Ole Miss. While the Crimson Tide performed well against the pass-heavy offense of the Bulldogs, the Tigers and the Rebels both present their own set of offensive challenges.

When it comes to playing solid football, Saban said that a lot of it hinges on how you react to plays — regardless of whether they were good plays or bad.

"So just focusing on what's in front of you, being where your feet are, trying to be positive," Saban said. "You know, everybody controls their choices, so what you let run through your mind — positive or negative — goes a long way to determine how you respond and how you react to things. And when you're worried about outcomes, sometimes that puts a lot of negative thoughts in your mind rather than focusing on what you have to do on that particular play, which is very positive."