Minkah Fitzpatrick shares his reaction to Nick Saban retiring

Minkah Fitzpatrick was asked his thoughts on Nick Saban retiring from coaching college football.

Fitzpatrick played at Alabama from 2015 to 2017 before being drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. The former Crimson Tide safety was taken back by the news.

“That threw me off,” Fitzpatrick said. “I was shocked. I knew he bought that house down in Florida last year, so that was kind of a hint, I guess. But it definitely threw me off.”

Fitzpatrick was also asked about what it was like to play for Saban at Alabama.

“He was a great coach. He was hard on us,” Fitzpatrick said. “He was tough on us, but it was because he knew where that was going to get us.”

He does not have a recommendation for who should take over the Alabama program, but Fitzpatrick is excited to see who the university hires.