What did Nick Saban tell players about social media criticism on Theo Von?

Nick Saban told Theo Von that social media turned players' motivation outward, so what strangers say about them matters more than their own honest view of how they played. He repeated the line he used with players upset by negative posts, asking why they cared what some fat guy in his underwear living in his mother's basement thought of them, and told them to focus on what they can control. Theo Von added his own punchline to the image, one of the episode's lighter moments.

• Saban says players in earlier eras were more motivated from within and less exposed to outside opinion.

▸In their words

“And I'd say, why do you care about what some fat guy running around in his underwear,” Nick Saban · at 1:03:10 — open in the transcript →

“Probably pierced nipples, coach.” Theo Von · at 1:03:16 — open in the transcript →

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von (2026-10-06). Read the whole episode summary →

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