Coach and top notch recruiter Lance Thompson jumped ship from Saban to the Kiffin crowd at UT

Coach and top notch recruiter Lance Thompson jumped ship from Saban to the Kiffin crowd at UT. Saban hired an old buddy named Sunseri and promoted little known, but energetic Kirby Smart to fill the void left by the well paid DC Steele.Saban kept his nose to the grind and so did everyone else in the program.Two more issues were addressed by the Alabama caretaker during the summer of 2009. Brandon Fanney was told that studying was just as important as football and his grades would need to improve He left for North Alabama to play for Bowden. Saban showed Prince Hall the door for a persistent bad attitude.The table was set for a successful season Successful it was, for sure. Saban rode the Crimson Wave all the way to the National Championship, on the backs of stellar recruits put together as a team by himself and his predecessor, Mike Shula.These athletes bought into the process, finished the program and ended the season dismantling the mighty Texas Longhorns. The Texans did not go down without a fight, even after losing their All-American, All-everything, Colt McCoy. He deserves all the recognition his college career brought with it, Colt was no doubt the real McCoy.His backup was a freshman, talented but still lacking.

In the end, the Longhorns would not have enough to stop the Crimson Tide from finishing the season as champions. The Alabama team finished as champions, not the coach, not the quarterback, and not the famous junior linebacker. It was a team effort.Bryant did much of the same in a short period of time for the Crimson Tide. But he wasn't labeled a legend after his first national championship He used the gridiron as his mission field He molded young boys into men.

He taught them to be champions on and off the field of play.The men molded by Bryant became leaders on the gridiron and in the world around Alabama citizens That is what brought on the status as legend. Look around Bama fans, I don't have to name them you know who they are.We see them everyday. On television, at work, in politics and in the christian mission field. They are a part of the fabric of our lives, our communities and our country Some have had international impact. That is the legend of Coach Bryant.Now all of a sudden, Alabama fans want to hang the label as "Legend" on head coach Nick Saban.