Tuscaloosa Street Renamed in Honor of Nick and Terry Saban's Foundation

The Alabama head football coach and his family have poured millions of dollars into the Tuscaloosa community through the Nick's Kids Foundation.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. —A special ceremony took place Thursday morning to honor Nick and Terry Saban and the way their foundation, the Nick's Kids Foundation, has impacted the Tuscaloosa community. 28th Avenue, which goes from the Tuscaloosa Riverwalk to 12th street, was officially renamed Nick's Kids Avenue. 

Nick Saban thanked Tuscaloosa mayor Walt Maddox for naming the street in the foundation's honor and said his dad "Big Nick" would be proud to see how much the foundation has grown.

"The number one lesson that my dad always preached, other than doing things the right way and doing it the best you can, was always have compassion for other people," Saban said. "And he demonstrated that in a lot of ways in his life. And I'm very proud of the fact that I have a partner in Miss Terry and a lot of people in this community who have continued that legacy."

According to Maddox, the Sabans are not through with their contributions to the community. In 2024, the Saban Center will open near the riverwalk and will be an, elite science, technology, engineering, arts, and math center to better prepare children for the future.

"Their legacy is not built upon words," Maddox said. "It’s built upon actions over the past 14 years in Tuscaloosa, Nick and Terry have met the standard of serving something greater than themselves. Millions of dollars they have provided in our community to help us rebuild after April 27."

On the eve of fall camp and a month away from a new season, Saban said these values are things he tried to instill into all his teams. He does not want them to be successful just on the field, but also as productive members of the community and that includes the 2021 team. 

"The team’s going to be like any other team. They have talent, but what is their commitment to the standard of excellence?" Saban said. "What is their commitment to doing things the right way and making good choices and decisions on and off the field? What kind of teammates are they going to be and how they support others, and all the things that makes our team great is what makes our community great.”

To date, the Saban family through the Nick's Kids Foundation have donated over $10 million to support families and students across the state of Alabama.