Even when Nick Saban is no more at Alabama, ‘the process’ is still echoing its results. The influence, charisma, and foundations Saban laid at Tuscaloosa will help Kalen DeBoer and every other staff member, player, and even backroom team. The imprint of the Saban legacy at Alabama is apparent. Saban’s motto, “Don’t think about winning the SEC Championship. Think about what you needed to do in this drill, on this play, in this moment” is still being chanted before practices. The drills, talks, and strategies were all Saban’s antics to make his players perform their best. One of those strategies involved Lee Corso and an iconic ritual that stayed with us for 4 decades.
Lee Corso recently announced his retirement from broadcasting (per ESPN), and the college football world couldn’t quite take it lightly. Corso provided us with moments by donning those headgear mascots and picking his favorite team to win since 1996. In the time he announced college games, Corso picked 430 headgear and had a correct prediction record of 286-144. Still, Corso earned his name not for fans, coaches, and players wishing to pick their team but otherwise.
Corso wasn’t a magician at his trade, but whenever he stepped onto that podium, magic flowed effortlessly. The crowd became wild, coaches went crazy, and players? Well, they always prayed that Corso would not pick their team. Nick Saban shared a similar thing in a recent revelation posted by Mike Rodak of 247 Sports and an Alabama insider.
Nick Saban on Lee Corso: “He’s a class guy. He’s certainly a gentleman. … My daughter would call me and tell me who he picked. Every week, whether it was our game or not. But when it was our game, I was always hoping he didn’t pick us. I knew the players were watching, and I…
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) April 24, 2025
Mike Rodak wrote Saban’s message for Corso. “He’s a class guy. He’s certainly a gentleman. … My daughter would call me and tell me who he picked. Every week, whether it was our game or not. But when it was our game, I was always hoping he didn’t pick us. I knew the players were watching, and I wanted reverse rat poison.”.
Well, Saban isn’t alone in that thinking. Most of the CFB fans thought the same way. But still, the crowd loved Corso. They loved him when Corso picked his first headgear, and they will still cheer for him when he picks his last on August 30, 2025. What really stood out for Corso was that he brought something new and iconic to the footballing world. This was the announcer who never shied away from experimenting and kept us entertained. Now 89 years old, the best days are certainly past him, but the memories he gave us will certainly live in the hearts and minds of the fans for generations.
David Pollack shares a ‘savage’ Lee Corso moment against Ohio State
The legendary announcer will be ninety when he comes to announce his last game of the 2025 season. But that won’t deter him from donning one mascot head again, one last time. The moment will be historic, tragic, and filled with emotions. After 4 decades of being in the broadcasting business, the announcer will finally bid adieu to college football. David Pollack, remembering Corso, narrated a story that just shows the talent the legendary announcer has even on the field.
Pollack talks about the Indiana vs Ohio State game from Corso’s football coaching days. “They score first against Ohio State,” [Corso] calls a timeout, brings his whole team onto the field. Whole team, in front of the scoreboard, gets the photographer and takes a picture with Indiana beating Ohio State”. This was probably ‘the’ savage moment before being savage was a thing. The story shows the type of coach and announcer Corso was.
Corso initially started with an assistant coaching stint with Maryland in 1959 and gradually became the head coach of the Louisville Cardinals in 1969. There, he led the team to their second-ever bowl game appearance and finished with a 28-11-3 record spanning four seasons. After that, Corso moved to Indiana in 1973 and garnered a 41-68-2 record in the 9 years he remained head coach at the program. Corso’s coaching career, while not too illustrious, still had its moments, like the BYU game when Indiana defeated them 38-37 in a thriller.
The post Lee Corso’s ESPN Announcement Forces Nick Saban to Break Silence With Tough ‘Rat Poison’ Admission appeared first on EssentiallySports.
