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As most have heard by now, former boxing champion Muhammad Ali passed away at the age of 74 on Friday night. Ali, known as one of the greatest champions ever, was described as such by Alabama’s head coach, Nick Saban.
Saban appeared on ESPN Radio’s Dari Nowkhah and Marcus Spears’ show on Saturday, talking about the legend.
“It’s not in the human condition to be a champion, to be as good as you can be,” Saban said. “You have to have special characteristics, special traits, which Muhammad Ali certainly did. (…) Champions don’t belong on the ground. When he got knocked down in one of the (Joe) Frazier fights, he got up and finished the fight because (with) his pride, he didn’t belong there. That’s not who he is. That’s not how he wants to be thought of. He got up and finished the fight.
“There’s also a quote, ‘I never win the fight inside the lights. I always win it somewhere far, far away.’ Doing road work, working hard to prepare for the fight. (…) A lot of analogies of philosophical things or things that people said about him, I think really reflect what being a champion is all about.”
Saban said that he uses Ali quotations and anecdotes when teaching his players about multiple things, including not being satisfied once you get to the top. You could say that has worked for Saban and his players, as the Crimson Tide won back-to-back titles in 2011-12, as well as four of the last seven overall.
The champion on the field also talked about how he was a fan of Ali, both in and out of the ring.
“I think it was his charisma, and how he said what he believed, which is what I think sometimes people relate to,” Saban said. “Even if they disagree, they can relate to the leadership. I was an Ali fan in every fight he ever fought. I thought he was the greatest champion ever, probably the greatest boxer ever.
“Whether it was his style, and the combination of his style and his persona or personality, it’s just unmatched almost by anyone. That’s why so many people could relate to him, and so many people loved him.”
Saban, who is 10 years younger than Ali, talked about how he would listen to every fight of Ali’s on the car radio growing up. They say coaching has a lot to do with X’s and O’s, and for Saban, he’s nobody to point and laugh at when it comes to strategies on the field — but a case could be made that part of his success derives from his admiration for Ali.
[H/T AL.com]
Twitter: @KidCuni
