In the days between Alabama’s Rose Bowl loss to Michigan and Nick Saban’s retirement, uncertainty loomed over the program. Players were thinking about their futures, the transfer portal was open and no one yet knew what era was about to end.
During this window, Saban continued to meet privately with players, including quarterback Ty Simpson.
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That conversation, Simpson revealed this week on the Bussin’ With the Boys podcast, would end up defining the trajectory of his career.
“Literally, like two days before,” Simpson said on the podcast. “I had a conversation with him, like, ‘Hey coach, what should I do? »
Simpson explained that he went to Saban to get honest advice. With opportunities elsewhere and his role at Alabama uncertain, he wanted clarity from the coach who recruited him.
“We talked about it,” Simpson said. “He said, ‘I understand if you want to leave, but I know you and I know what you wanted in recruiting. If you want to create value for yourself, this could be a great story for you and you could leave a legacy here.'”
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Simpson took this advice seriously.
“I thought about it, I prayed about it and I was like, ‘You know what? You’re right,'” Simpson said.
Then everything changed.
“The next thing you know, he’s retiring.”
The timing, Simpson admitted, initially left him stunned.
“I’m sitting there and I’m like, ‘Well, he just lied to me,'” Simpson said.
But this reaction did not last long. As the son of a coach, Simpson said he understood the complexity of the situation and what Saban was navigating behind the scenes.
“But also as a coach’s son, I understand,” Simpson said. “I understand what was going on. I understand what he thought about it. We had a good conversation about it. To this day we laugh about it.”
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Despite the sudden transition at the top, Simpson remained committed to Alabama, and that decision ultimately changed everything.
Simpson earned the starting quarterback job ahead of the 2025 season and led the Crimson Tide back to the College Football Playoff.
In the first round, Simpson delivered on the biggest stage, guiding Alabama to a victory over Oklahoma and validating the patience and belief that kept him in Tuscaloosa.
In a sport characterized by quick releases and instant gratification, Ty Simpson took the harder route.
He stayed.
He waited.
And when his time came, he delivered.
What Nick Saban called a “great story” is no longer hypothetical, it’s already written in Alabama’s playoff run.
