Former Alabama superstar opens up on relationship with Nick Saban with revealing story
Sometimes, there's a special bond between a player and a coach that transcends what happens on Saturdays when the lights are bright. In an age where NIL spending and sponsorships have overtaken the conversation around college football, it's warming to see loving words and actions still prevail. The Alabama Crimson Tide had a few instances […]
Sometimes, there's a special bond between a player and a coach that transcends what happens on Saturdays when the lights are bright. In an age where NIL spending and sponsorships have overtaken the conversation around college football, it's warming to see loving words and actions still prevail.
The Alabama Crimson Tide had a few instances throughout Nick Saban's tenure as the head football coach. Saban's intense personality wasn't always as hardened as he'd portray if star pupil Will Anderson Jr. is to be believed.
The current Houston Texans pass-rusher opened up to Fansided about his relationship with Saban.
“Nick Saban was actually a big joker,” Anderson said with a smile in New Orleans. “He was fun, man. I loved playing for Nick. He’ll have his little jokes here and there. I remember one time I got hurt and they had me out for a long time – we were in the fourth quarter – and he looked at me and started laughing. He said, ‘How long is a low-ankle sprain going to take for you to get back out there Will Anderson?’”
Saban and Anderson shared more than that moment, of course. They gave each other a huge hug during the 2023 NFL Draft after Houston made the move to select Anderson third overall.
Anderson was a delight to watch during his time at Alabama, with Saban and his coaching staff thrilled by every impactful play he made. In the 2020 season, he played a crucial role in helping the Tide secure the National Championship, recording seven sacks and totaling 52 tackles.
The following year in 2021, he elevated his performance, racking up 101 total tackles and an impressive 17.5 sacks.
In his final college season in 2022, he added another 10 sacks to his impressive resume. In his rookie season with Houston, he earned the title of Defensive Rookie of the Year with seven sacks to his name.
Last season, he continued to shine with 11 sacks. Houston fans have been enthusiastic about his performance so far. Head coach DeMeco Ryans has praised his standout abilities, sharing that a conversation they had soon after drafting Anderson helped alleviate some of the pressure he faced.
“It was a little crazy (getting drafted) because I heard there were a lot of expectations and stuff like that. They give up this (to get me),” Anderson told FanSided. “When I sat in the office with Coach Ryans, he was just like, ‘man, there are no expectations. You don’t have to come in here and be a superhero. You don’t have to do anything out of the ordinary, just be Will Anderson. That’s why we drafted you.’”
Saban had been as complimentary of Anderson as he'd ever been before the draft, saying:
"Well he's got great size, he's got great ability, he's a very good pass rusher, but you're talking about a guy that's a great person," said Saban. "He has throwback competitive character in terms of toughness, work ethic. Great leadership, doing all the things you would want any player on your team to do to play winning football and help other people on your team play winning football."
"I can't say enough good things about the guy. As person, as a character, as a leader. "I mean, the fact that he and Bryce played in the bowl game when guys are opting out and they're both probably top five picks, that speaks volumes of how they care about their team. Nobody could represent this University better than he has."
