Nick Saban let WR have it after failed trick play

Nick Saban was none too happy with his wide receiver after trick play went badly. Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Nick Saban let Alabama WR have it after failed trick play in spring game

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 4/17/21

The Alabama A-Game gives us a chance to see Nick Saban in practice mode, complete with audio. Obviously, that provides some one-of-a-kind entertainment that you won’t get during a meaningful Crimson Tide game.

Team White, which consisted of the first-team offense, ran a trick play during the scrimmage, with wide receiver Slade Bolden tasked with throwing the pass. Bolden was a wildcat quarterback in high school, so Saban was definitely looking for something usable here. He didn’t get it, though, as Bolden was forced into a back-foot throw that landed well short of its intended target.

No excuses for Saban, who promptly told Bolden just how terrible his pass attempt was.

"I can throw it behind my back better than that." – Nick Saban
pic.twitter.com/6Y5BEAxApk

— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) April 17, 2021

Saban knows he’s mic’d up, so you wonder how much he’s censoring himself here — and whether Bolden would have gotten it even worse without that factor.

The Alabama coach is a gem when he gets ornery, so much so that it even entertains other coaches. Then again, if Saban can be like this over a gadget play in a spring game, it’s no wonder his teams end up so well-drilled when the games start to count.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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