Craig Smith, the father of former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young, thinks Nick Saban is the best coach in all of sports.
But there was once instance during Bryce's time in Tuscaloosa when Craig was "not happy" with Saban.
Back in the summer of 2021, Saban created a media firestorm when he said at the Texas High School Coaches Association that Young was earning nearly seven figures in NIL money despite the fact that he hadn't started a game yet at Alabama.
"Our quarterback has approached ungodly numbers, and he hasn't even played yet," said Saban. "If I told you what it is...it's almost seven figures."
Craig told AL.com in an interview this week that he wasn't happy with Saban after those comments.
"I'm probably the biggest Coach Saban fan that there is," said Craig. "I personally think he's the best coach in all of sports. And better than a coach, he's a leader of men. Now, with that said, I was not happy with Coach Saban when just out of the blue, he tells the whole world that we've got millions of dollars of (NIL) deals lined up and that Bryce is a millionaire before he even took a college snap. I remember being at work, and I just remember my phone all of a sudden just texting and just beeping, beeping, beeping. And then I remember the ESPN alert, and it just hit like wildfire.
"It was interesting, because when Bryce called me, he's like, 'I just looked at my account, I don't see any millions'. So it was one of those things where, yes, because, because NIL was so new, and the concept of an athlete being compensated for their name, image, and likeness (was new). And then Bryce kind of became the poster for that, because of the power of the brand of Alabama. And because you were the perceived starting quarterback at Alabama, which made you, if you played well, a potential Heisman Trophy candidate. And then also playing at Alabama, some of your games are going to be nationally televised and that made you attractive to brands."
It's funny to look back on Saban's comments about Bryce's NIL earning power nearly four years later. In 2025, no one would bat an eye at a top quarterback earning almost seven figures in NIL money even though they haven't started a game yet. In fact, that would be viewed as quite a bargain.
Fortunately for Bryce, Craig, and Saban, that out of pocket comment from the former Alabama head coach was barely even a speedbump for the trio.
