Even when Nick Saban is no more at Alabama, ‘the process’ is still echoing its results. The influence, charisma, and foundations Saban laid at Tuscaloosa will help Kalen DeBoer and every other staff member, player, and even backroom team. The imprint of the Saban legacy at Alabama is apparent. Saban’s motto, “Don’t think about winning the SEC Championship. Think about what you needed to do in this drill, on this play, in this moment” is still being chanted before practices. The drills, talks, and strategies were all Saban’s antics to make his players perform their best. One of those strategies involved Lee Corso and an iconic ritual that stayed with us for 4 decades.
Lee Corso recently announced his retirement from broadcasting (per ESPN), and the college football world couldn’t quite take it lightly. Corso provided us with moments by donning those headgear mascots and picking his favorite team to win since 1996. In the time he announced college games, Corso picked 430 headgear and had a correct prediction record of 286-144. Still, Corso earned his name not for fans, coaches, and players wishing to pick their team but otherwise.
Corso wasn’t a magician at his trade, but whenever he stepped onto that podium, magic flowed effortlessly. The crowd became wild, coaches went crazy, and players? Well, they always prayed that Corso would not pick their team. Nick Saban shared a similar thing in a recent revelation posted by Mike Rodak of 247 Sports and an Alabama insider.
Nick Saban on Lee Corso: “He’s a class guy. He’s certainly a gentleman. … My daughter would call me and tell me who he picked. Every week, whether it was our game or not. But when it was our game, I was always hoping he didn’t pick us. I knew the players were watching, and I…
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) April 24, 2025
Mike Rodak wrote Saban’s message for Corso. “He’s a class guy. He’s certainly a gentleman. … My daughter would call me and tell me who he picked. Every week, whether it was our game or not. But when it was our game, I was always hoping he didn’t pick us. I knew the players were watching, and I wanted reverse rat poison.”.
Well, Saban wasn’t alone in that thinking. Most of the CFB fans thought the same way. But still, the crowd loved Corso. They loved him when Corso picked his first headgear, and they will still cheer for him when he picks his last on August 30, 2025.
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