Nick Saban cracks joke about DJ Dale while agreeing on Henry To'oTo'o's intellect

Earlier this week, DJ Dale called Henry To’oTo’o a “genius” during a press conference. A reporter asked Nick Saban about To’oTo’o’s intellect on Wednesday, and the Alabama head coach didn’t miss his chance to crack a joke about Dale’s comments.

“I thought you were going to ask how DJ Dale really could recognize a genius,” Saban quipped. “But I get it.

“DJ’s a good guy,” he clarified. “I don’t mean it that way. I was just kidding.”

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Saban ended up answering the question about To’To’o’s intelligence and what it does for the defense. He compared how To’oTo’o sees the game to a coach on the field, and that confidence rubs off on the rest of the defense.

“Henry’s just a really instinctive, smart football player,” Saban said. “But he does a really good job of preparing for games and I think Pete does a really good job with the linebackers understanding how they fit relative to whatever the call is.

“Henry is one of those guys that, he gets it. He sees it almost like a coach. He’s a great communicator, so I think because he makes calls up front, that really makes the other part of the front seven feel more comfortable and confident in what they’re doing and how we can execute together as a group.”

DJ Dale on Henry To’oTo’o: ‘He’s a genius’

Dale had some high praise for To’To’o, who has 17 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack through three games. He said it shows throughout the week in practice as the Crimson Tide get ready for games, too.

“Henry’s a genius,” Dale said. “He’s calling things out before the play starts. He’s giving you tips and keys and everything throughout the week to look for — what they run out of certain formations and everything like that. Henry, really, he knows it, he dials it up. He’s a genius.”