Why Nick Saban Quit Drinking

Pat McAfee has a way of getting quotes out of Nick Saban like few others. Take this one about why Saban gave up the bottle, and why, as expressed on Saban's weekly appearance on McAfee's  ESPN TV show. Here's that tidbit and several others.

On His Drinking History

“Nope. Don’t drink. I used to drink. When we had kids and my kids were growing up, I decided I didn’t want to set that kind of example for them, so I just quit drinking and [it's] probably the best thing I ever did. Never have a hangover, never feel bad. I just don’t do it.

"You have more fun and you enjoy [life] more. You enjoy the relationships more. It’s been a good thing for me, one of the best things I’ve decided to do.”

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On if he chewed the [crap] out of a cigar after beating Tennessee

“I did. I always do. I’ve never lit one up in all the years that I’ve been here. I chew on them a while. But the great thing about it is to see the players have so much fun, be so excited after the game and have so much fun with the whole thing. I mean, it really is a unique locker room, believe me.”

On if he has OCD

“I don’t know, I’m sure I’m obsessive-compulsive or something, but I only drive the Ferrari on Wednesday if it’s not raining. So that’s kind of the program. But it’s my birthday coming up on Halloween, so we always go to the lake. We have a birthday dinner with a bunch of our friends on Saturday and turn around and come back.

"It’s enjoyable, even though I still watch film and I’ll be looking at LSU cutups and all of that stuff. It’s enjoyable to just have a change of scenery if you know what I mean. When you’re working 12 and 14 hours a day ever since Aug. 1, it’s great just to have a little time to decompress in a different environment.”

On turning 72 on  Halloween

“I hope so. But if you ask my mom, I still think, after all these years, she doesn’t know whether she got a trick or a treat.”