Maybe that’s how infectious excellence is! Just three months after Nick Saban was crowned the ESPY Icon, his lovely wife, Terry, has added another trophy to the family cabinet. She recently got inducted for a special award, though it came while shelling out a hefty $1 million. While the financial aspect might raise eyebrows, their daughter, Kristen Saban, seems more interested in the glory.

Kristen is a lucky girl! Her parents, even in their 70s, often come up with enough reasons for their daughter to celebrate. Even though GOAT Nick’s 25-year stint with Bama has come to an end, the celebration is not over yet. Back in July, the 7x National Championship winner was handed over the “Icon Award” and guess who came up with the loudest cheer at the stadium? Of course, it had to be Kristen. Now, it was time for Mommy Terry to make her daughter proud.

On Friday night, Terry was inducted into the Bryant Society, which honors “the generosity and loyalty of those contributing to the success of Alabama Athletics.” Ever the social media maven, Kristen was quick to celebrate her mom’s achievement on Instagram, while Terry finds herself a place in the pages of Alabama history. Well, that’s how Kristen is! Living life carefree even though Bama lands in a tough spot after two losses while she sips on the good juju this month has left her with.

On October 25, Kristen shared a snap of Terry in her Instagram stories where the latter is boasting a wide smile and holding an award as the caption read, “Bryant Society Inductee 🤍.” Well, the award looked a bit different. That memento is the miniature version of the legend Paul “Bear” Bryant, Alabama’s longtime HC and alumnus statue. But we are sure you are wondering about that one million thing. Let’s clarify.

It has been a part of Bryant Society’s tradition that they recognize donors who have successfully reached the $1 million mark when it comes to cumulative lifetime giving. “The Bryant Society is comprised of individuals, families, and organizations who understand that championship programs are built through vision and an unwavering desire for excellence. They each play their part in our efforts to ‘prepare to win’ by contributing leadership gifts of at least $1 million,” reads the society’s website. But such efforts are not new for the Sabans, no?

The Saban couple founded a non-profit organization, that is The Nick’s Kids Foundation dedicated to supporting children, student causes, families, and teachers. This year, they gave away over $625,000 to local charities in honor of their annual giveaway luncheon. Alongside, they donated nearly $14 million dollars to deserving organizations and causes in Alabama and Southeast since their arrival in Tuscaloosa.

The organization honored more than 650 teachers with the Nick’s Kids Teacher Excellence Award and completed projects that included career tech classrooms at the Tuscaloosa County Juvenile Detention Center, the Alberta School of Performing Arts playground, and the Tuscaloosa Riverwalk Playground.

It has a longstanding partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Together they have built 21 homes (18 National Championship Homes, 2 SEC Championship Homes, and the Sugar House for deserving local families. Nick’s Kids is also a major donor of the Tuscaloosa All-Inclusive Playground, Boys & Girls Club of West Alabama, and Freedom Farm. With all those contributions, no wonder that the Sabans have a special place in the heart of Alabama. Last month had also added a page to that.

The UA System Board of Trustees passed a resolution to formally name the playing surface Bryant-Denny Stadium “Saban Field”. Terry had hilariously hailed the occasion saying, “We’ve always been happy when people come up to us and say they’ve named their dog Saban. We realized (the naming of Saban Field) is really a cut above that.” But don’t think that this popularity is with Nick only.

Alabama fans are absolutely in love with Terry. So much so that there has been a petition going on in change.org that seeks to erect a Commemorative Statue for Terry Saban at Bryant Denny Stadium! And why not? Nick himself has often lauded his wife for her support and efforts behind the man he is.

On the ‘Hey Coach’ radio show in September 2022, Nick had hailed Terry for bringing a positive vibe to the Alabama football landscape. He went up to the extent of calling her a great recruiter!

“First of all, she’s one of the best recruiters that I mean, the players love her, the parents love her. She does a great job, great people skills, so everybody feels at home. It sort of gives everybody the feeling of family, which is what you’re always trying to create. You need a village of people to support these guys, whether it’s personally academically, or athletically, and Miss Terry is great,” Saban had candidly said. She can manage that probably because of her love for football, as Saban had pointed out on another occasion.

“My wife always made me better. I’m just going to be honest with you. She loves college football and I’m going to say that,” Nick had said during a 2015 interview on ESPN’s ‘The Herd,’ while also adding that Miss Terr’s opinion matters. Understandably, with such attachment to the Crimson Tide, a recognition from them for Terry meant a lot to the Saban family. So they put their best foot forward. Literally!

Nick’s daughter-in-law Samira absolutely killed the floor with her look in a bronze gown that was completed with a Yves Saint Laurent handbag. Meanwhile, Kristen decided to put on a glammed-up off-shoulder dress for the evening. Later she posted her look on Instagram while adorably captioning it, “Heard it was homecoming, so I dressed up.” Maybe celebrating these wins helps keep Kristen sane when things are not alright in the gridiron. 

Good times roll for Kristen Saban even amidst Bama’s dual heartbreak

When Kalen DeBoer’s program crushed Georgia 41-34 on September 28, Kristen was on cloud nine. Before the kickoff, she tried to play with her words by posting a picture with College GameDay host Kirk Herbstreit’s pet dog Ben. Nick’s daughter wrote, “The only dawg I want to see today.” However, it did not take fate much time to play an ugly role.

At first, the Crimson Tide got thrashed by Vanderbilt Commodores and just when they were recovering from the trauma, they had their second loss this season against the Tennessee Volunteers. Even in her low times, she finds solace in her furry friend as she posted a cute snap with the golden retriever and wrote, “All I care about at the moment.” However, Kristen is no longer brooding over the loss.

Instead, on October 24, Nick Saban’s daughter shared a collage of all the good moments that October has gifted her with. From Kristen indulging in a pretty charcuterie board, to posing with a doggo, to spending time by a serene lakeside, the third-last month of the year has gifted her with some of the best moments of the year. So why care about the losses that came free with October?