George Teague is an Alabama Crimson Tide legend. For many Alabama football fans, Teague makes their list of favorite Alabama players. Which makes it hard to disagree with him.
But I doubt that Teague was correct in a recent observation he shared with Paul Finebaum. Teague talked about Nick Saban's continued presence on the University of Alabama campus as a shadow negatively affecting Kalen DeBoer.
Teague's specific comment was, "It’s hard when you have people over your shoulder, particularly when you got an icon or someone back there. He’s talking to your players still. I can’t imagine me trying to set my own standard in the weight room, on the field and maybe a player’s calling coach, ‘Hey man, I really don’t like this, what’s going on, or I really miss you, coach."
Teague is correct that DeBoer lives in Saban's shadow. The situation was inevitable for any coach who followed Saban. From a historical perspective, the first two coaches who followed Paul Bryant in Tuscaloosa lived in the Bear's shadow. DeBoer could not have been blind to how hard it would be to follow Saban. Perhaps it is more difficult than DeBoer realized in January 2024, but DeBoer is not a man to back down from challenge.
There are specific reasons to doubt the negative impact of Saban's shadow. One is that DeBoer inherited college football's greatest ever program from Nick Saban. That status remains a big part of what DeBoer sells to recruits and transfers.
2026 Alabama Crimson Tide is Kalen DeBoer's team
There is also the factor that the 2026 Alabama Crimson Tide is Kalen DeBoer's team. A roster he has built solely with players of his choosing. He and his staff have bonds with the current players that even a legend cannot have.
Do players reach out to Saban frequently as Teague suggests? If they do, Saban could be more of an asset than a liability. Nick Saban would never intentionally do anything to hamper the Alabama football program. As much or more than anyone engaged in college football, Saban knows DeBoer must be unquestionably in charge.
If Kalen DeBoer ever escapes Nick Saban's shadow in Tuscaloosa, it will require not being deterred by the expectations that come with it and by not being distracted by what Nick Saban does or does not do.