About five minutes into his ESPY Awards acceptance speech Thursday night, standing on stage in Los Angeles next to two of his former Heisman Trophy winners at Alabama , Nick Saban doled out some advice from his father to an audience filled with some of the world's greatest athletes.
"People aren't going to remember what you say," Saban said. "They're going to remember how you made them feel."
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Perhaps that's the best explanation for why Saban, just six months removed from his retirement as Alabama's football coach , was the recipient of the prestigious ICON Award at the ESPYs .
Saban emphasized the obligation that those involved in sports have to help others while accepting the honor, which was presented by former Alabama stars Mark Ingram and Bryce Young . Saban made sure to thank everyone from his wife to his players to the many support staff members who helped him become the only college football coach to win seven national championships.
He noted that, before spending 17 years at Alabama, his family had to move 17 times for his coaching career. He brought up Bear Bryant, John Wooden and Dawn Staley as other iconic coaches he admires. He joked that there were enough former players in the crowd Thursday "that we could actually have practice after this."
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Saban accumulated a 292-71-1 record over 28 seasons as a head coach at Alabama, LSU , Michigan State and Toledo. He stepped down from his position leading the Crimson Tide in January and subsequently signed with ESPN. He will serve as a commentator primarily on "College Gameday" this fall, but will also make other appearances on the network, including next week at SEC Media Days in Dallas .
While Saban largely focused on the life lessons football gave him — and he then passed on to those he coached — he did mention what he'll yearn for most of all now that he's no longer going to be on the sideline this season.
"There's nothing like being part of a team. That's what I'm going to miss," Saban said. "I've been part of a team since I was 9 years old. So with all this help and success, all I ever was was the conductor of a process and our process was to help every player be more successful in life because they were involved in the program."
Sports, Saban added, bring people together better than anything else. Few, however, have done it as successfully or as often as Saban did. That's why people, in Alabama especially, will forever remember how his teams made them feel.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama's Nick Saban gives memorable advice accepting ESPYs Icon Award
