Despite Kalen Deboer Settling In-House Differences, Nick Saban Calls Out Alabama Players’ Attitude in Rose Bowl Defeat

Temper tantrums and foul-mouthed rants are the guilty pleasures of the NFL. Tom Brady did it, Travis Kelce did it, and now, Jalen Milroe is following suit. The cause of the laments of the football world stems from the raw passion that drives each player up in the morning, doing drills, and playing the ball. Every single day. So, an explosion when losing a season-ending game, one closely linked with their years’ worth of hard-earned reputation, is only natural, right? Not when Nick Saban is your head coach.

It was Nick Saban being the epitome of college football values that imprinted his legacy in the Alabama books in golden letters. Throughout his 17 seasons, Saban was a great coach. But was an even greater teacher of the most diligent sportsmanship policy at Alabama, one of the primary reasons for the cemented foundations of the team, making the team 4th best in the nation. Naturally, Saban couldn’t believe his ears when he heard a crack in that foundation during his last game, the Rose Bowl 2023. It was tough enough for Saban to lose his final game, and the Bama players’ tantrums didn’t help his cause. As expected, he was quick to reprimand. “I was disappointed in the way that the players acted after the game,” Saban said in an interview with ESPN.

“You gotta win with class. You gotta lose with class. We had our opportunities to win the game, and we didn’t do it, and then showing your ass and being frustrated and throwing helmets and doing that stuff … that’s not who we are and what we’ve promoted in our program,” Saban said, quite dejected. It was the actions that unfolded after Bama’s 27-20 overtime loss against Michigan in Pasadena. Jalen Milroe, one of the elite class QBs in 2023, threw his helmet in frustration, while RB Roydell Williams squatted down in disbelief while Michigan players were celebrating their win.

Well, as of now, Nick Saban is Bama’s past chapter. The current one is Kalen DeBoer. How is he feeling about the team’s in-house sportsmanship differences? Surprisingly, quite the opposite of Nick Saban.

Kalen DeBoer proud of the team

While DeBoer was dangerously close to touching this topic, he maneuvered right beside it, complimenting the way Bama players have accepted each other. “Props for just how open they’ve been to everything that we’ve asked them to do. Doesn’t surprise me. They’ve embraced all the little differences and nuances that different personalities bring, just different ideas that we have,” DeBoer said.

Well, the players, too, seem to be warming up well with their new head coach. Even after such a sudden change, only 10 Bama players agreed that Alabama had some major defections like safety Caleb Downs, wide receiver Isaiah Bond, and offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, per ESPN’s January report. But DeBoer’s echoing Alabama’s values was something that held together the rest of the team, including star players like Jalen Milroe and Terrion Arnold being the major ones.

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The things at Tuscaloosa seem to be working well with DeBoer. However, the real test that DeBoer will have to come clean on is the big golden flake A-day set for April 13. The Spring game would be the first-ever game of DeBoer with Bama players, and if the tantrums continue then… Well, DeBoer and Saban might find a common ground. Do you feel the same?