CHARACTER COUNTS

Nick Saban isn’t known for his winning personality — at least until lately

Oct 15, 2016, 11:28 AM

(AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)...

(AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)

(AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)

Alabama head coach Nick Saban has never been confused for being an all-around nice guy.

He has a brunt attitude at press conferences and in interviews, he can be seen being tearing up players and refs up and down the sidelines, and of course, who can forget when he even made an NFL player break down in tears in his short stint with the Miami Dolphins?

But Saban’s actions recently may have changed how he looks to a lot of people.

Last week, Saban’s Crimson Tide faced off against Arkansas and won another performance handily, 49-30. Shortly after the final whistle, Saban sought out an Arkansas football player. No, it wasn’t to tell the player he needs to show respect to his players or to congratulate him on a good game. Saban sought him out to share his condolences about the loss of his father.

Razorbacks’ center Frank Ragnow had learned the week before that his father had died of a heart attack. Saban told reporters after the game that he felt for Ragnow on a personal level, because he too had lost his father to a heart attack when he was still in school, so he wanted to personally reach out to Ragnow after the game.

Then, during a weekly radio show that Saban appears on, a diehard fan who has never seen the Crimson Tide play in person reached out to the show. Saban thought the fan was genuine and wanted to do something nice for him.

So he promised he’d make the fan a guest at one of Alabama’s games.

Keep doing you Nick Saban.

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