Nick Saban says Bryce Young, Will Anderson have set a 'marvelous example' for all athletes

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and edge rusher Will Anderson are two of the most highly touted prospects of next year’s 2023 NFL Draft for their phenomenal play, and because of that they likely played their last game in Bryant-Denny Stadium this weekend in a 49-27 victory over rival Auburn. Head coach Nick Saban was asked about the duo’s legacy at Alabama, speaking more about their exploits off of the field versus on it.

“I think those two guys not only have been great players for the University of Alabama, they’ve been great leaders for our team, they’ve been great ambassadors for this University and they way they’ve represented themselves,” Saban said.

Many regarded Young and Anderson as the best individual offensive and defensive players in the country headed into the season, with Young fresh off of a Heisman Trophy-winning season and Anderson receiving the Nagurski Trophy last year awarded the best defensive player in college football.

This season was a down year for the Crimson Tide according to their standards, as they will not be playing in the SEC Championship game or the College Football Playoff, but Young and Anderson still led them to their 15th straight double-digit win season and set a great example on and off the field for Alabama according to Saban.

“And they’ve set a marvelous example for any upcoming, young person who plays sports to emulate them in terms of how they go about what they do, the class and character that they have, and I couldn’t be prouder of two guys in terms of what they’ve contributed, but also how they’ve represented our program and the university,” Saban said.

Young and Anderson have bright futures ahead of them playing on Sundays like many of Saban’s former players, and it will be interesting to see what decisions they make regarding their upcoming bowl game and future eligibility moving forward.

Bryce Young reveals his favorite memory in Bryant-Denny Stadium

Alabama faces rival Auburn at home this weekend in what many expect to be Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young‘s last home game of his career. Young has some eligibility left, but is also one of the top prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft, which many are expecting him to enter. Their next game could be Young’s last one in Bryant-Denny Stadium, as Young shared his favorite memory from his home field.

“I don’t know, it’s been so many, it’s been so many moments, so much support from the stadium, from the fans,” Young said thinking. “Honestly I’d probably say it’s probably the first game in Bryant-Denny last year, obviously I saw it as a recruit, and then 2020 Bryant-Denny obviously was different with it being COVID, it being 50% capacity or whatever it was.”

Alabama’s stadium attendance in their final game of the 2020 season was 16,520 because of COVID, but their home opener versus Mercer in 2021 saw 95,396 fans in a moment Young will cherish forever.

“And it’s still getting to feel that support even with that and that meant a lot, but I think the first game 2021 year, just it being packed out and just really for the first time as a player being able to experience the fans, experience how much it means to everyone in the building and just experience the environment,” Young said.