NFL longevity by former Nick Saban-coached, Alabama players is impressive

NFL careers are, on average so short to be considered brief. The NFL longevity of Nick Saban coached, Alabama football players are impressively longer.

There is debate about the average length of NFL careers. Whatever average number used, Alabama football players coached by Nick Saban defy the odds.

It took Nick Saban a bit to ramp up his Alabama football NFL factory. Not a single player was drafted off Saban’s first Crimson Tide team in 2007. The factory got going with the 2009 NFL Draft, with four former Alabama Crimson Tide players selected. By the next year, Saban had the Tide plant churning, spawning seven selections in the 2010 Draft.

It has not slowed since. From the 2009 Draft through the 2019 Draft, 87 former Alabama football players have been selected.

Critics sometimes argue Saban’s success in putting players in the NFL is a product of recruiting elite athletes. A more nuanced understanding is Saban’s success comes from recruiting and player development. NFL executives frequently tout how NFL-ready are Nick Saban’s former players.

The NFL Players Association claims the average NFL career is 3.3 seasons. That number is too low. NFL owners claim the number is actually six seasons. Both sides have strong motivations to cite their numbers. Instead of dismantling the pair of calculations, a simple average of the two will suffice. Halved, the average career of an NFL player is 4.65 seasons.

How do Nick Saban’s former players compare? The Alabama football, NFL Draft groups in 2016-2019 are not counted. In more future seasons, many of these players will achieve some longer than average NFL tenures. Our measurement is the 47 former Alabama Crimson Tide players drafted from the 2009 through 2015 classes. At least 15 of those players will be on 2020 NFL rosters. Some of them could easily play another three to five seasons.

The bottom line is the 2009-2015 average is five seasons and moving up once 2020 final rosters are set. Some of the longevity by former Alabama football players is quite impressive. Andre Smith, even if he doesn’t make the Ravens 2020 roster has 11 NFL seasons. Kareem Jackson has 10 seasons and will add another one in 2020. The Alabama football average of five-seasons of NFL experience will go up.

Marcel Dareus, Julio Jones, James Carpenter and Mark Ingram have nine seasons – and counting. If they remain healthy, some of the younger guys like Amari Cooper, Landon Collins and C. J. Mosley could reach nine or ten (or more) seasons of NFL play.

Fans of some schools across the nation complain Alabama is just an NFL minor-league team. Crimson Tide fans respond with a – thank you.