“He Was Just Ripping Me”: Alabama Legend Recalls Angry Nick Saban Moment Right After Heisman Win

Winning the Heisman Trophy is supposed to be the night a college player gets to soak it all in. For Mark Ingram II, who became Alabama’s first Heisman winner in 2009, then-head coach Nick Saban had something else in mind.

Ingram looked back on that night in ESPN’s new six-part docuseries Saban, and the way he tells it, the ride back to the hotel was not a celebration. The former Bama running back recalled that instead of letting him enjoy the moment, Saban reminded him that Alabama still had a national championship to play for.

“’Can’t let this get to your head. You can’t be complacent. It’s about the team, and you gotta be ready to go for the national championship game,’” Ingram recalled Saban telling him. “And he just went on and on and on. He was just ripping me all the way back to the hotel after I just won the Heisman.”

The timing made the experience difficult to forget because he had just reached the top of college football, but Saban was already concerned about what came next.

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“I was just like, after he got done, I just drifted to the back,” Ingram added. “I’m like, ‘Did I just win the Heisman, or did I just fumble in the national championship?’”

The moment captured what playing for Saban often meant. Individual achievements mattered, but they could never come at the expense of the team. Even after Ingram became the first Alabama player to win the Heisman, his coach wanted him focused on the next game.

Ingram had rushed for 1,658 yards during the 2009 season and played a major role in Alabama’s run to the national championship. The Crimson Tide finished the job by defeating Texas 37-21 in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game.

Ingram rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries against Texas in a game dominated by the Crimson Tide’s running attack. Trent Richardson also had 109 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Saban’s reaction reflected the same approach he had used to build Alabama into a national powerhouse. He believed teams could lose their edge after reaching a major goal, and he made it his responsibility to keep that from happening.

That mindset became known as The Process. Saban developed the philosophy after a conversation with Michigan State psychiatrist Lionel Rosen ahead of a 1998 game against Ohio State.

Rather than focusing on the final score, Rosen encouraged him to concentrate on winning individual plays. Then Michigan State, under Saban, entered that game as a four-touchdown underdog but won 28-24.

Saban carried the same approach throughout his coaching career. Alabama won six national championships under him between 2009 and 2020, while LSU claimed another during his tenure at Baton Rouge.

Ingram’s Heisman win was the first of four claimed by Alabama players under Saban. Derrick Henry, DeVonta Smith, and Bryce Young later joined him. But success never meant Saban was willing to lower his expectations. Alabama’s 2010 season offered a reminder of why.

Despite entering the year ranked No. 1, the Crimson Tide finished 10-3 after losing to South Carolina, LSU, and Auburn. Saban later pointed to the season as an example of how difficult it was to maintain the same level after winning a championship.

Ingram went on to be selected by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played 12 NFL seasons, earned three Pro Bowl selections, and also spent time with the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans before moving into sports broadcasting.

Looking back, the Heisman moment remains a memorable instance of Saban’s approach to coaching. Ingram had every reason to celebrate that night, but his coach was already thinking about the national championship.

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