Alabama Football Welcomes Pete Rose to Speak to Team in Fall Camp

Nick Saban adds to his illustrious list of guest speakers by inviting one of the most polarizing baseball players of all time to speak to the team.

Gambling has become a prevalent issue throughout college sports over the last several years. Iowa University and Iowa State are currently engulfed by scandal rampant throughout its athletic programs and the issue even crept close to home in the spring as former Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon was involved in improprieties. 

Alabama head coach Nick Saban is addressing the gambling issue head on by turning to one of the most notorious offenders, Pete Rose.

Rose, known for his competitive spirit for the Cincinnati Reds' Big Red Machine, is banned for life from the game of baseball due to gambling on the game as both a player and manager.

Charlie Hustle💨💨

Thank you, Pete Rose for stopping by and talking with the team! pic.twitter.com/ViwqmWyX7m

— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) August 9, 2023

"Obviously, you guys know what the issues are," said Nick Saban on Sunday.  "If you look at players that are suspended for, whether it's gambling, drugs and alcohol, whatever. So those are all things that we're trying to educate players on relative to consequences of good and bad behavior, cause and effect. Because we don't want anybody to suffer negative consequences that might impact and affect their brand and that all goes to the choices and decisions that they make. If we can impact those through education with good speakers that's the goal of what we try to do throughout the year but, same thing, it's more condensed in fall camp."

Rose has been out of baseball since 1989 and despite his impeccable numbers on the field as a player is banned from the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. 

There's no better example for Alabama football to draw from and find out what the true cost of gambling is than Rose.

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