Nick Saban Quotes

In the NFL you get one first-round draft pick if you're lucky. You couldn't really outwork anybody else. In college I could recruit ten players with first-round talent every year.

Every team in the league is always looking to upgrade its talent.

Duke recruits the best basketball players. They don't recruit dunkers or highlight makers. They recruit good basketball players.

We draft mostly high school kids and we have one of the finest, if not the finest, player development programs and coaching staffs and we teach our players the right way to play. We also have a game plan in scouting, and there are certain types of players that we look for.

I have worked out with the Thunder, Lakers, Knicks, Grizzlies, Spurs, and a few others before the draft. I have worked out primarily against shorter and supposedly faster players in these workouts.

I wouldn't want to go out six nights a week and watch somebody's reserves playing to check out a footballer to see if we're going to buy him.

I think I have the skills. I'm a great judge of talent. I just know basketball.

Toughest job in baseball is the general manager. Second toughest is the hitting coach.

I'm a good special teams coach, and I can recruit.

Maybe it's old-fashioned, but I've always preferred to see players with my own eyes than on a video or going on somebody else's recommendation. If that means getting up early and taking a flight, then so be it. Our success at Everton came from having a great recruitment team who I made sure were out watching the players.

I recruit defensive players first. That's where most games are won. Then you've got to get the offensive linemen.

Any time you get a chance to acquire a really good football player, I'm all about that.

Cris Carter and Randy Moss - they're the guys who made me want to play football and be a receiver.

I had no idea the Vikings were interested. I was actually expecting other teams because the Green Bay Packers and three or four other teams asked for film after the combine in Dallas, and the Vikings weren't one of them.

It's not true that I never left South Bend to recruit a player. It is true that I didn't leave very often.

I've given it all from my combine to my pro day to my meetings with teams.

The number one thing in recruiting in terms of making it a great job is players in your own area.

I'm not overlooked by NFL teams. That's the only thing I really care about.

My job is to bring in players I think can help this team, regardless of where they're playing.

I used to have a log on every corner in the league, what their strengths and weaknesses are.

When you go to like the Nike Hoops Summit, or the All-Canadian Game, all those really matter in your development and how people perceive you as far as how good of a player you are.

I think I definitely have the mentality and skill set to be a top-five receiver, that's no doubt.

Teams want the best players. If the best players come through your academy, you can play.

You're in pro football, it's kind of interesting, because when you win, you draft last. In college football, you recruit. You gotta go after guys.

I've tried so far to learn as much as possible. I think I've got a good grasp of what a hockey GM needs to do.