The Extra Point: Mike Vrabel has a new respect for Nick Saban, Alabama

For years the Ravens, Patriots and the Washington Football Team have been extremely high on adding Nick Saban's players from the Crimson Tide. Add the Titans to that list.

Let's see here, there's the running back who has been the NFL's rushing king the last two seasons. One of the leaders of the defense. Plus now an All-Pro wide receiver. 

Think the Tennessee Titans are high on former Alabama players?

Head coach Mike Vrabel certainly is. 

While we can only speculate whether he sends a Christmas card to Nick Saban every year, you can be certain that the Titans coach is both thankful to have Derrick Henry, Rashaan Evans and now Julio Jones following a trade with the Atlanta Falcons, and on the lookout for more Crimson Tide talents. 

The Alabama pedigree is one of the reasons why the Titans aggressively pursued the deal for Jones. 

“What I really feel a lot when I have conversations with Julio and, you know, Rashaan and Derrick is how these guys were coached in college,” Vrabel said per All Titans. “I can always really appreciate players that have come from places like Alabama, where there’s so much consistency in how they do things.

“Listening to Nick Saban talk about ‘This is how we do things,’ it doesn’t change. The players may be different each year or the coaches come in, and (they) lose a lot of coaches, but (they’re) still going to do things the way (they) do them.”

It wasn't that long ago the 45-year-old coach was a player himself, and has a prolific career out of Ohio State with the Steelers, Patriots and Chiefs. 

That middle team may be the key to his fondness for Saban, who is good friends with New England head coach Bill Belichick.

Tennessee Titans

“I would say that I have a really good relationship with Coach Saban,” Vrabel said. “He’s welcomed me down there to, really, just try to get better and improve as a football coach and then, you know, the ability to call him and ask him about a situation.

“About adding a player that he’s coached was something that I was able to do. … He’s here, and Coach Saban, obviously, thinks a great deal about Julio as a person.”

The Extra Point is a regular weekday feature on BamaCentral+, and often includes video and other elements from our FanNation parters. Other recent segments include:

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