The Cincinnati Bengals have rostered several players that played under the legendary Nick Saban at Alabama, none more recently than safety Jordan Battle.
Along with the rest of the football world, Battle reacted to the news of Saban's surprising retirement as the head coach of the Crimson Tide.
"Today should be a [National] Holiday," Battle posted on X/Twitter. "Thank you for everything!!!"
Battle was the Bengals' third-round pick in last year's NFL Draft, but he was a four-year starter in Saban's secondary prior to his time in Cincinnati. He worked his way up to team captain status in his final year in 2022.
The position Battle played is also of significance. Saban may be considered the greatest college coach of all-time, but his specialty is in the secondary. Battle is one of 29 Crimson Tide defensive backs to have played under Saban, and one of 20 drafted in the first three rounds. That's an average of over one per year!
Battle was the second Alabama defensive back drafted by the Bengals since 2008, the first being 2012 first-round pick Dre Kirkpatrick, who played eight years in Cincy and 10 total years in the NFL.
It's the end of an era for Battle's school, but his career is just getting started. He appeared in all 17 games (seven starts) for the Bengals this year, recording 43 solo tackles, two sacks, and an interception.
Pro Football Focus also named Battle to their 2023 All-Rookie team after a stellar first year in the Queen City.
More must-reads: