MOBILE, Ala. — Justin Eboigbe was a long way from Tuscaloosa — training for the NFL draft in Florida — when legendary Alabama football coach Nick Saban told his team on Jan. 10 that he was retiring.
But within minutes, the former Alabama defensive end's phone began roaring with notifications as former teammates reached out and word began to spread . He'd just returned to the apartment he's renting, while working out at a training facility when he began scrolling through his messages, and couldn't believe his eyes.
So he got a better look, via FaceTime.
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"I called one of my former teammates and he told me. (He) Facetimed me in and showed me the locker room," Eboigbe said Tuesday after the Reese's Senior Bowl afternoon practice. "It was a lot of guys showing the same emotion that Bama fans and people around the world of sports felt. Shocked, confused, not really understanding where this came from. It felt like it came out of left field, but you can't do anything but respect his decision."
Eboigbe overcame a neck injury that ended his junior season early to post his best college season as a senior in 2023, recording career highs in tackles (63), tackles for loss (11.5) and sacks (seven). He is one of three former Crimson Tide players, along with kicker Will Reichard and linebacker Chris Braswell , who are in Mobile this week for the Reese's Senior Bowl in an effort to enhance their value for the NFL draft in April.
Eboigbe knows Saban better than most Alabama players, having spent five years in the program, but said he saw absolutely no advance indication last season that Saban was coaching his last team.
"No, I didn't see it coming. He was professional the whole way through. He gave it all he had every day to where there was no let-up," Eboigbe said. "There was nobody thinking he was going to retire because he gave it everything each and every day."
As it turned out, Eboigbe was witnessing the end of college coaching history as the Crimson Tide took the field against Michigan in a College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl.
"It was his time. You can't give anything but respect to him because at the end of the day, he gave his all. He was always going to leave it better than when he found it," Eboigbe added. "I feel like they've got the right man in place (in Kalen DeBoer). I feel like the culture that coach Saban instilled in that group of guys (is strong). A lot of guys are still there. People talk about the guys that left, but it's a great group still there. There's going to be some semblance of coach Saban there. He's still going to be around. Just because he's physically not there in the day to day doesn't mean his presence won't be felt."
That presence will come in the form of an advisory position Saban will maintain at Alabama, along with an office in Bryant-Denny Stadium, although it's unclear how much time he'll spend in Tuscaloosa regularly.
He finished his career with 292 NCAA-recognized victories, 201 of them at Alabama, and a record seven national titles (six at UA).
Reach Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Inside Alabama football locker room after Saban retired, via FaceTime
