Former Dolphin Says Nick Saban Calmly Stepped Over Convulsing Teammate In '05
We'll make this one brief, because if it is true, than it is stale by about six years—but we do jump at any opportunity to point out instances in which Nick Saban might have behaved like a dick, and this anecdote certainly qualifies.
Former Dolphins player Heath Evans was a guest on the Jorge Sedano show yesterday, and he brought up a special Saban memory from the team's 2005 training camp:
Jeno James, our best offensive lineman at the time, comes in and collapses after practice, uh, vomiting all kinds of stuff that would make a billy goat puke, eyes rolled in the back of his head. Myself, about four other lineman are trying to carry him from the locker room, to the training room...
Nick Saban literally just starts walking in, steps over Jeno James convulsing, doesn't say a word, doesn't try to help, goes upstairs, I don't know what he does. But then obviously they get Jeno trauma-offed to the hospital.
Later on, Saban told the team that the incident was some kind of "fear the captain" tactic:
Saban calls a team meeting about 10:30 that night. [He] comes down and says, "You know, the captain of the ship can never show fear or indecision, we've always gotta have an answer, and so I had to go upstairs. That's why I walked over Jeno like that, I had to collect my thoughts and decide what's best for our team."
And I'm thinking to myself..."Did he, does he really believe what he's just saying?" He showed no human emotion for one of his best players. He literally stepped over him when four or five grown men are trying to carry Jeno to the training room.
Perhaps he thought they had it handled. Or perhaps Nick Saban is just kind of a dick.
Evans: Saban "Stepped Over Convulsing Player" [SBB] Saban 'stepped over a convulsing player' in Miami [Eye On Football]
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