Nick Saban had a great nickname for Mac Jones when he played quarterback for Alabama.
Saban was a guest on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday for his weekly appearance. The former Crimson Tide head coach was talking about Jones, who has won three games in a row as the San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback.
Saban praised his former quarterback and expressed how proud he was of Jones. He also revealed that Jones’ body language and behavior used to be a big issue for the quarterback. Saban used to call Jones “John McEnroe” because the quarterback would pout and complain during Alabama team practices, similar to the way the hot-headed McEnroe used to behave on the tennis court. Saban felt the comparison was appropriate because Jones used to play tennis.
“I used to call him John McEnroe,” Saban recalled. “Mac was a tennis player in high school. Like, when Mac threw a bad pass, he’d kick and fuss and cuss. So I’d say, ‘John, you going to throw your racquet now? Is that what you’re going to do?’ I’d say, ‘you can’t do that and play quarterback. You’re affecting the whole team out here. You make one bad play and you go bananas.’ I said, ‘you can’t do that. You’re gonna have bad plays. You gotta play the next play. You can’t get emotional about it and let it affect everybody around here with your negative body language. It’s not an individual sport. You can’t throw your racquet. Cut that s–t out.'”
This might not come as a big surprise considering how Jones’ behavior has come into question before. When he was with the Patriots, he was criticized for his behavior towards some of New England’s coaches. The 27-year-old is still growing out of his reputation for childish behavior.
"I used to call Mac Jones John McEnroe because he was a tennis player in high school..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 3, 2025
He would make one bad play and go bananas..
It's not an individual sport and you gotta cut that shit out" 😂😂 ~ Coach Saban #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/7vnYyx8BnX
