Seven national championships. Twelve conference championships. Sixteen national coach of the year awards. And none of them hold a candle to the ESPY Icon Award.
Okay not really, but Saban did dress up in a tux to accept the Icon Award and, in a move that surprised absolutely no one, managed to turn a made-up award at a self-important awards show into a genuine life lesson.
"The one thing my dad told me when I was a young kid in West Virginia that the most important part of your character is to have compassion for other people. People aren't going to remember what you say, they're going to remember how you made them feel... One thing that would change all of our spirit and all of our society is if we would just change one thing. Instead of coming up to somebody and saying, 'How are you today?' Why don't you say, 'Who did you help today?'"
Saban accepted the honor "on behalf of a thousand people," saying he would think of all the players, assistant coaches, support staff and family members who made it possible each time he looked at the award, a silver pyramid statuette topped by a globe. He thanked Miss Terry, highlighted the 668 degrees conferred during his 17 years at Alabama, and pointed out that there were enough Saban alums in the audience on Thursday night that "we could actually have practice after this."
Next, Saban will report to duty to SEC media days next week in Dallas as part of ESPN's coverage of the event.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.