Nick Saban on College GameDay Photo Credit: ESPN College GameDay
ABCCollege FootballESPNNFLBy Arthur Weinstein on

Nick Saban’s much-awaited debut on ESPN’s College GameDay came on a huge stage, as he served as an analyst during the NFL Draft Thursday night.

The legendary coach proved up to the task. He seemed surprisingly smooth for someone making his debut, checking in with some pertinent facts and observations.

Host Rece Davis gave Saban a nice introduction as CGD went on the air before the draft.

“We are delighted to welcome Nick Saban to our ball club,” Davis said. “How is this running out here compare to, say, leading a team into a game?”

“Hey, I’m glad to be part of a team, that’s something that I thought I would always miss, this is our crowd now, so I’m all with them,” Saban said, motioning to the Detroit crowd behind the set.

Saban shared some life lessons during the draft: “There can be no great victories in life unless you can overcome adversity,” he said at one point.

He drew some observations from his personal interactions with some of the players involved. For example, he recalled a meeting with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams when he was still in high school, and Saban recalled how the quarterback even then had a plan to be an NFL star.

There were some interesting moments, such as when Michigan fans in the crowd behind the CGD set chanted “Let’s Go Blue!” Michigan defeated Alabama in overtime in the College Football Playoff semifinal this year in Saban’s final game.

Overall, Saban came off as very knowledgeable and he knew how to concisely share that information. He knew when to speak and when to defer to others. He seemed to be having fun. Most importantly, he came off as confident, which is not surprising. When you’ve lived in the national sports spotlight for years, covering an NFL Draft is not that big a deal.

Davis said recently “I don’t have any doubt” that Saban will excel on CGD. One event is in the books for Saban and his first time out looked promising.

The college football world applauded Saban for his work. And no, not all of the X/Twitter accounts praising him appeared to be Crimson Tide fans.

[Photo Credit: ESPN College GameDay]

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.

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