Drake, who finished the 2013 season as the third-string running back, was arrested the morning of July 5 for misdeameanor obstruction of governmental operations after attempting to cross a crime scene to reach his car. Reed, a 4-star defensive tackle who transferred from East Mississippi Community College and started in the A-Day game, was arrested the morning of July 13 and charged with driving under the influence after colliding with a stationary vehicle while backing out of a parking spot.
“Those players are suspended, but they’re not kicked off the team,” Saban said. “When they prove that I think, or we think, that they’re ready to come back and show a little bit more responsibility and discipline for how they handle themselves, their decision-making, how they represent the University, their family and themselves, then we’ll allow them to come back ?on the team.”
Saban explained his philosophy on player discipline and said much of the team’s process is dedicated to helping players ?grow off the field.
“We all have a program that tries to help these guys ?develop the kind of thoughts, habits and priorities that are going to help them be successful in their life. But their ability to make good choices and decisions, to control their impulsive behaviors and do things correctly is something this process, you know, sort of helps develop,” Saban said. “I think discipline is ‘Here is something that you want to do, here is something that you know you’re supposed to do that you really don’t want to do. Can you make yourself do it? Over here is something you know you’re not supposed to do, but you really want to do it. Can you keep yourself from doing it?’”
Junior defensive back Landon Collins said the responsibility for team discipline extends to the player leadership.
“We do it as the leaders of the team,” Collins said. “We take the proper amount to help keep things under control. We need everybody on our team, especially [Drake and Reed]. They’re great players, and we need them on our team. The disciplinary action that we take is very understanding. We understand what they’re going through.”
Saban said he is reluctant to dismiss players from the team for a number of reasons.
“I want you to know that there’s not one player, not one player, since I’ve been a head coach that I kicked off the team that ever went anywhere and amounted to anything and accomplished anything, playing or academically,” Saban said. “That’s not always the answer. Discipline is not punishment. Punishment is only effective when it can help change somebody’s behavior.”
