Nick Saban shares why he does not like players faking injury
Some teams employ a tactic of having defensive players fake injuries just to get a stoppage in play to slow down an opposing offense. The practice is particularly common in college football, where defenses use the tactic to slow down fast-paced offenses. But it’s not something Nick Saban is a fan of.
Saban shared Wednesday on his weekly radio show why he doesn’t like his players faking injuries.
Saban on players faking injuries on the field: "I get mad at our players when they lay on the field. I tell our players, 'when you lay on the field, you're telling the other guy he's kicking your a**.' If you just lay out there on the field, that's what you're telling them."
— Alex Byington (@_AlexByington) November 28, 2019
Saban said that he was so devoted to the idea of showing toughness that he once ran off the field despite having broken bones.
Saban continued: "When I played, I broke my ankle and my leg and ran off the field, because our coach said you can't lay on the field. You can't let the other team know they're beating you. You can't tell them that. So I got up and ran off the field. Was that dumb or what?"
— Alex Byington (@_AlexByington) November 28, 2019
That is hardcore. Saban is smarter than that now and knows there are some situations where showing weakness — when your bones are literally broken — is OK. The rest of the time, he still believes in having a mental edge.
