Nick Saban's Message to Fans: 'Think About Building, Not Tearing Down'

Ahead of the Ole Miss game, Saban says the 2022 team's legacy will be determined by how it finishes.

Each week on the Nick Saban Show, the Alabama head coach gets the chance to give the "final word" on the radio call-in show named after himself. 

Thursday night, he took the opportunity to talk about the legacy the 2022 team can leave, and it includes the fans. 

"The legacy of this team is going to be determined a large degree by how they finish because people will respect the way they respond to the adversity with their ability to go play with focus and do the things the way we need to do it," Saban said. "So that's what we're trying to develop on our team. That's what we need.

"You know, I'd like for our fans to do the same thing. I’d like for our fans to think about building, not tearing down, think about being positive, think about being supportive, think about coming and supporting the team in any way you can."

Saban and the Crimson Tide are in unfamiliar territory. For the first time in over a decade, Alabama is out of the national championship hunt with a few games to go in the regular season. With losses to Tennessee and LSU, Alabama no longer controls its own destiny. 

Earlier in the week, Saban said the upcoming game at Ole Miss will be a chance to test the team's pride. During his radio show, he said it the players' character will be judged on how they respond. 

Despite the losses, Saban still shares great affection for this team. He spent almost three minutes answering a fan's question about unsung heroes on the team. He mentioned guys like Byron Young, Dallas Turner, the offensive line, Kendrick Law, Isaiah Bond and Ja'Corey Brooks. 

Several times throughout his show, Saban said it isn't a lack of intelligence, communication or even effort with the players. It comes down to a lack of execution and mental errors caused by anxiety according to Saban. 

The Alabama head coach has also repeatedly made sure to take ultimate  responsibility for the miscues of the team, shifting the blame away from the players and other coaches.

"I love these players," Saban said. "We haven't gotten the results that we wanted to get, but nobody feels worse about it than they do. Nobody tries harder than they do. And I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for what they've done. And I take full responsibility for what we haven't been able to get done. So hopefully we'll be able to do a better job and play our best game of the season over at Ole Miss."

No. 9 Alabama plays at No. 11 Ole Miss Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on CBS. 

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