Hear What Nick Saban Had to Say After Alabama’s First Spring Practice

Alabama head coach Nick Saban met with reporters for the first time this spring after the Crimson Tide concluded practice on Tuesday. 

The team finished day one of spring practice and Saban laid out his goal for each player.

"I think the most important thing about the first day of practice is that everybody can come off the field and self-assess where they are, what they did well, what they need to improve on," Saban said.

It was clear that Saban spends as much time developing the attitudes of the players as he does their skills early on.

"I think everybody's got to decide the player that they want to be and go out there and work hard to do it. And most of the time it's not the other team that's the problem. It's you defeat yourself from within."

The message was clear as the team tries to rebound from a heartbreaking, final-second loss to Clemson in the national championship game, and it seems like the players are focused as practice returns.

"We did have a good offseason program. I was very pleased with that. And I think the energy and intensity that the players went out there with today was good for the first day."

You can listen to Saban's entire comments on the team, the newcomers, the offense, injuries, and more in the video above.