Nick Saban is the greatest college football coach of all-time and his documentary is going to be a masterpiece. While his on-field accolades and accomplishments speak for themselves, there is so much that people don’t know about the seven-time national champion that will continue to surface.
Bo Scarbrough’s story about a police chase is the perfect example. The former Alabama running back ran for 1,512 yards and 20 touchdowns on 267 carries in 31 career games over three years, and won two national championships with the Crimson Tide in 2015 and 2017.
Apparently, opposing defenses were not the only thing from which Scarbrough ran. He recently spoke about the time that he, Saban, associate athletic director of sports medicine Jeff Allen, and athletic relations coordinator Cedric Burns evaded the police while driving home from a golf tournament in Birmingham.
Burns was driving and decided to test the limits of Saban’s Mercedes.
We had hit about 50 speed limit, so we hit it. You know me, I’m from the hood. So we speed and I like that type of stuff. So Jeff’s like, “Ced, slow down.” Coach Saban’s on the phone at the time and Ced didn’t say nothing. So I like at Jeff and Jeff looks at me and he said, “Ced, slow down.”
Next thing you know, we zoomed past the police. I’m talking about like we’re going 90.
— Bo Scarbrough, via The Bama Standard Network
As could be expected in that situation, the police pulled out and pulled behind the Mercedes. The lights flashed and they were getting pulled over.
Nick Saban said to punch it!
At that point, Nick Saban chimed in. His stance on the situation surprised them all!
(Burns) calls somebody and then hung up the phone and they still was behind us. Jeff was like, “Ced, you ain’t gonna stop?”
Coach Saban turned around and said, “Jeff, we’re not stopping.”
We just kept going. Police just backed up off us and just said, “stop driving reckless.”
— Bo Scarbrough, via The Bama Standard Network
Scarbrough couldn’t believe what his head coach just said. It was the response he least expected.
When coach Saban said that, I just slumped down in my seat.
“Just drive. Get out of there. I don’t care how fast you get out, just get out of there!”
— Bo Scarbrough, via The Bama Standard Network
Here is Scarbrough in his own words on The Bama Standard Network:
It is unclear as to whether Allen got on the phone with the local police department and encouraged them to pull back, or if they were aware that it was Saban’s vehicle. Either way, Scarbrough says that Burns kept his foot on the gas until the tailing officer ultimately stopped its pursuit.
The most legendary figure in the modern era of college football was driving back from a charity golf tournament and apparently encouraged his right-hand man to run from police. Wild!