Nick Saban speaks at Nick's Kids Foundation luncheon

THE ALABAMA FOOTBALL TEAM RETURNING TO THE PRACTICE FIELD THIS WEEK FOR FALL CAMP. BUT BEFORE PUTTING WORK ON THE GRIDIRON, TODAY WAS ABOUT CELEBRATING COMMUNITY WVTM 13, KARI OSEP IS IN TUSCALOOSA FOR NICK SABAN TRUE KICKOFF TO PRESEASON. IT DOESN’T TAKE LONG TO GET TO KNOW THE FEW THINGS THAT NICK SABAN LOVES AND OF COURSE THAT WOULD BE FAMILY, FOOTBALL AND GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. SOMETHING THAT HIM AND MYSTERY WERE FOCUSED ON TODAY DURING THE ANNUAL NICK’S KIDS LUNCHEON GIVEAWAY. NICK’S KIDS FOUNDATION HAS DONATED NEARLY 12 MILLION TO THOSE IN NEED SINCE THE SABAN’S ARRIVED IN TUSCALOOSA YEARS AGO. SELFLESSNESS FROM A COACH KNOWN FOR GREATNESS. BUT THE GREATEST GIFT HAS BEEN SERVING A COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY IN ITS GREATEST TIME OF NEED. WHEN WE HAD THE TORNADO, THE COMMUNITY WAS IN SUCH A STATE OF DIS DISARRAY, AND TO BE IN A POSITION TO, YOU KNOW, BUILD 13 HOUSES, YOU KNOW, FEED HOME SHELTERS AND THE TEAM DID A TREMENDOUS JOB OF GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. AND THEY WERE KIND OF DEDICATED TO WINNING A CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER THAT. WHILE COACH SABAN IS FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING HIS PLAYERS ON THE FIELD, HE’S ALSO BEEN FORTUNATE TO WATCH THEM DEVELOP THEIR OWN CHARITABLE EFFORTS OFF OF IT. PROBABLY AN UNEXPECTED CONSEQUENCE OF THIS IS I’M REALLY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SO MANY PLAYERS NOW WHO HAVE THEIR OWN FOUNDATIONS, WHO HAVE TAKEN A SIMILAR PATH TO TRY TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE. AND THIS ANNUAL EVENT REMINDING US THAT FOOTBALL IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER AS THE CRIMSON TIDE FALL CAMP KICKS OFF THIS WEEK BEFORE THE START OF THIS SEASON IN JUST UNDER A MONTH HERE INSI