"It’s a personal thing for me”: When Nick Saban shared thought process behind approaching Arkansas player who lost his father

During his 17-year tenture with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Nick Saban not only led his team to numerous national championships, but he was also someone who always looked out for his players. Sometimes, this extended to players on the opposing team as well.

One instance of this occurred in the 2016 season. After Alabama had defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks, the first thing Saban did was speak to a member of the Razorbacks team who had recently lost their father to a heart attack. After this meeting, Saban explained to a local news network why he decided to do this.

"It's a personal thing for me. I lost my father when I was in my first year of graduate school. He's (Frank Ragnow) a fine young man and a fine young player, and for him to have to go through that, our thoughts and prayers are with his family." (0:34)

Saban lost his father, also to a heart attack, when he was in college. So he knew exactly what it is like to lose someone so early in one's life.

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Arkansas coach Bret Bielema praised Nick Saban

Saban's dedication to Ragnow was not just confined to the meeting between the two. The veteran coach met then Arkansas coach Bret Bielema before the game started, and was already asking about how Ragnow was faring.

After the game, Bielema said the following about Saban, praising him for his actions:

"Nick had told me in the pregame he had gone through something similar, so I thought that went a long way. Nick’s a very caring man and he loves the game, especially when he sees a guy of Frank’s stature. He knows that’s a good player who does it right. Very, very admirable of him.”

This moment was a defining moment for Frank Ragnow, who is still playing football at a high level. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.