Nick Saban admits what he was really up to during WH visit
For a six-time national championship-winning head coach like Alabama’s Nick Saban, the novelty of visiting the White House and meeting the president has probably worn a bit thin.
Maybe that’s why on Tuesday, when President Donald Trump hosted the Crimson Tide at the residence, Saban made sure he was still working on bringing home another title.
According to CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins, Saban made calls to recruits from the White House.
Nick Saban tells me he called recruits from the White House.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) April 10, 2018
As noted by SB Nation, right now, coaches can only have limited in-person contact with recruits, due to what the NCAA calls a recruiting “quiet period.” However, he is allowed to call them as much as he wants, and what better place to phone a recruit than from inside the home of the leader of the free world?
Saban may have worked a bit during the White House visit, but when it was time for him to give public remarks, he called it a “special day” for the team.
“Not a lot of people get invited to the White House, so not many people get invited to see the president and meet the president, so this is a special day for our team, a team that is being honored here because of their achievements in terms of winning the College Football Playoff National Championship, which makes me very proud,” he said, according to 247 Sports.
The Alabama head coach also praised his players for the resiliency they showed throughout the 2017-18 season.
The Crimson Tide lost the SEC West to Auburn in the Iron Bowl, but were still able to sneak their way into the College Football Playoff.
Then, in the national championship game against Georgia, Alabama overcame multiple deficits, eventually prevailing 26-23 on a game-winning touchdown pass in overtime from backup quarterback Tua Tagovailoa — a true freshman — to DeVonta Smith.
“This season was a little bit of a metaphor of life,” Saban said. “In terms of the togetherness, the hard work, the perseverance that these young men put together to overcome a lot of adversity, to create a legacy for a lifetime and a memory for a lifetime with them because of what they were able to accomplish as a team.”
Trump for his part, expressed his congratulations to the Crimson Tide, noting that their victory in the national title game was a “win for the ages.”
“I was watching,” Trump said. “I said, ‘Coach, it’s not looking too good.’ Down 13-0 at halftime to a great Georgia team; the champions fought back as they did all season long.”
Moreover, as The Wildcard told readers Tuesday, photos and videos taken during the White House visit revealed that in addition to praising Alabama, Trump took the time to do something even more special with members of the team — pray with them.
What a cool moment! .@AlabamaFTBL JK Scott asked @POTUS if he could pray for him and his staff. Video below shows President Trump and Bama players praying after the Tide's @WhiteHouse visit! @WBRCnews @BarrettSallee pic.twitter.com/tE4hj4k38l
— ChristinaChambers (@ChristinaChamb) April 10, 2018
Alabama punter J.K. Scott asked Trump if he could pray for the president, and Trump obliged. Multiple players then appeared to join in a prayer circle with the president.
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