"I've never seen guys this big": Former Vanderbilt QB reveals traumatizing memory of facing Nick Saban's loaded defense

Former Vanderbilt quarterback and ESPN analyst Jordan Rodgers has shared a memory of him facing Nick Saban’s Alabama defense. In a video clip shared on Instagram by AL.com, Rodgers recalled his experience facing the Tide for the first time.

He said:

“So, I hadn't quite taken over the starting job yet, and Larry Smith was our starter there, and he was a little banged up, so they pulled him sometime in the late first quarter, I think, and I came in.

“My vivid first memory is walking to the line of scrimmage because back then we still took snaps from under center. I sound old now. And looking left and right at this defense and thinking in my head, 'I've never seen guys this big.'”

Rodgers started his college career at Butte, where he played from 2008 to 2009 before transferring to Vanderbilt, where he was from 2010 to 2012. The younger brother of NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, he continued:

“That team, I think, had five first-round draft picks. Drake Kirkpatrick was in the back or in the corner as well. They had dudes all over the place. The most vivid memory, which has hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube is we called in a speed option play and the defensive end took the running back.

“So, I decided to cut it up upfield. My fullback was a lead blocker. I did not have to jump. And Mark Barron had about a 20-yard head start running full speed at 230 pounds hit me, which he would have been ejected, and he would have been suspended for the next half of the first next game as well, because we went helmet to helmet and hit me right in the earhole.”

Nick Saban speculated to return to coaching

Speculations have been circulating about a possible Nick Saban return to coaching. The speculation was first notably voiced by one of his former quarterbacks at Alabama, Greg McElroy. McElroy said, while appearing on Monday's episode of the "Mac and Cube" show:

“A very much in-the-know person that I have a lot of respect for—and have spent a lot of time around and really admire—they seem to think Nick Saban is not done coaching.”

Nick Saban’s return has also been echoed by a couple of SEC coaches, including Lane Kiffin and Brian Kelly. Kelly said in an interview with On3:

“It’d be better for college football if Nick Saban is coaching. Period.”

Saban coached Alabama for 17 years before his retirement after the 2023 season.

About the author

Kayode is a College and High School Sports writer at Sportskeeda since June 2023. Hailing from Nigeria, he has an undergraduate degree in Linguistics and African Languages, and has previously had stints as an entertainment and politics writer for around 7 months. Adept at creating content around historical perspectives, he strives to report stories based only on verified information. His mantra is - truth is always more important than sensationalism.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Kayode admires how Nick Saban developed talent at the team and delivered consistent results, and hopes that the post-Saban era is just as fruitful. He is thoroughly impressed by Johnny Manziel’s talent, and feels that Shedeur Sanders is massively underrated. Nick Saban is his all-time favorite college coach.

While Kayode believes there is little to separate college and mainstream sports, pro leagues absorbing the best athletes leads to their quality being higher. Witnessing the Colorado Buffaloes’ hot streak at start the 2023 football season was one of his all-time favorite college sports moments.

When not writing, Kayode enjoys reading and watching sports documentaries. His most recent watch was "Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In."

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Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.