Many people have made it abundantly clear just how many of LSU players are Saban’s guys and attempt to suggest that Saban somehow recruited a lot of Mile’s signees while they were still freshmen and sophmores in high school. I think that this is flat out Orgeron-delusional, as is the assumption that if he did, they decided to come to LSU because of him despite the fact that he bolted for the NFL (and wasn’t exactly successful there)…Here are a few more little recruiting facts about Nick Saban:
He told Vince Young (NFL Rookie of the Year) flat out that he would never play QB on the professional level and recruited him as a WR, losing any chance at him even though he was interested.
He recruited Pat White of West Virginia as a DB only, telling him that was where his future lay and that he wasn’t a Div I QB.
He told Brandon Jacobs (starting RB for the NYG) his only future was a DE and recruited him as one, which cost him a shot at this Louisiana native… and the stories continue.
This amazing defense LSU has, that Bama fans like to credit Saban for building? NINE of eleven starters are from Lousiana, most within 60 miles of Baton Rouge. How great a recruiter do you really have to be to get a kid to go to the lone in-state school? Shula with his Gold Chains and penchant for would have done it – hell, Cutcliffe would have done it.
Saban was a tireless worker even if he was a prick at times, but you gumps with your ‘Bear resurrected, walking on water’ hero worship need to get some perspective. Get excited when he actually does something AT ALABAMA… Here are four quick thoughts/questions for you guys to moll over…
1) If they are all HIS guys, why did he leave them? Is it really a valid recruiting tool to point out all the kids that you lied to, who’s parents that you lied to and then abandoned as a reason they should play for Bama?
2) IF they are all in fact his players, and he went 9-3 with them while Miles has since come in with a whole new staff, suffered the worst natural disaster in the nation’s history and still gone 27-4, does that mean he is just a much, much better coach?
3) Saban’s 2003 national championship team had more of DinNardo’s players on it than Mile’s team this year has Saban’s… no question there but it just makes you think, hmmmmmm….
4) The players recruited by Miles have actually had a higher average star rating than those Saban did, which, IMO is very impressive considering that hurricane Katrina scattered New Orleans talent across the country.
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