In the midst of a hectic appearance on the final day of SEC Media Days, Alabama football coach Nick Saban took time to update the media on the status of recent arrestees Kenyan Drake and Jarran Reed.
“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 behaviours and do thing 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.”
