“He’s the kind of guy who kinda scares me.” It almost sounds like Terry Bradshaw’s talking about a haunted house or some backwoods ghost story. But really? He’s talking about a football legend. But the way he says it makes you lean in. It’s not fear. It’s something else. Respect, maybe. With a smirk.
We’ve seen Bradshaw switch into a stand-up comedian on FOX. We’ve heard the country-song stories. The hot takes that feel like they came straight from a ’70s huddle. But when he brings up Nick Saban? And drops a comparison no one else would dare to make? You know you’re in for a ride.
In a recent sit-down with the To The Point podcast, Terry Bradshaw brought his usual blend of honesty and humour. “He’s the kind of guy who kinda scares me,” Bradshaw said about Nick Saban, half-laughing. “He kinda reminds me of Chuck Noll. Rough, you know?” Out of all the people you’d expect Bradshaw to say, Chuck Noll definitely wouldn’t pop up in your mind. Nick Saban and Noll? What on earth is that parallel?
That’s… a pretty high bar. Chuck Noll was the guy behind the Steelers’ ‘70s dynasty. Stoic. Tough. All business. The kind of coach who hated small talk and looked like he ran on black coffee and quiet rage. And Bradshaw? The QB who won four rings with him. Loud. Loose. More class clown than field general. Like a wild kid stuck with the world’s grumpiest substitute teacher.
So, hearing Bradshaw say Nick Saban gives off a similar vibe? That’s quite a praise. And maybe a quiet warning for anyone thinking they can just sweep their way onto Saban’s good side. Bradshaw even brought up that Aflac commercial. The one where Saban snaps, “You’ve got five minutes to shower.” That’s not acting, it’s probably how he talks to his interns.
“That’s the funniest sucker I’ve ever seen. A lot of people have said I’d like him. But he kinda scares me. I don’t know if I’d approach him.” You can practically picture Bradshaw trying to avoid eye contact with Saban at a coaching symposium, nervously pretending to text someone while whispering, “Don’t bench me, Coach.”
And these words? They may seem like nothing but Bradshaw being Bradshaw. But when you take a deeper look at Terry’s and Noll’s relationship? These words take on a whole other meaning.
Bradshaw opens up on his rocky relationship with Chuck Noll
Now, to really understand these words, we’d have to go back to one of the most complicated quarterback-coach relationships in NFL history. Let’s just say this: if you ever thought your boss didn’t like you, Terry Bradshaw has you beat.
In an interview, Terry gave us an insight into his relationship with former boss Chuck Noll. “I did not like my head coach at all, Chuck Noll. He was not a nice person. And he was mean to me. In all my 14 years of playing for him, he never shook my hand one time, ‘Nice job, Terry.’”
That’s not coaching with cuddles. That’s old-school, silent-treatment stuff. Typical. Bradshaw said Noll once stopped him in the tunnel. Looked him dead in the eye. And said, “You mess up out there today, and I’ll bench your ass in the first half.” Yeah. And you thought your boss’ Slack messages were harsh.
Sure, Bradshaw admits Noll helped shape him. Turned him into a four-time Super Bowl champ. A Hall of Famer. If you’ve watched The Bear, this might remind you of Carmy’s relationship with Chef David Fields. He got the best out of him, but the scars? Still there. When Noll passed in 2014, Bradshaw didn’t go to the funeral. Instead, he spoke about him at a public event. He called Noll “one of the greatest coaches in the National Football League.” Then with a familiar grin, he added, “He slapped me around a little bit. I hated him for it.” Just when you thought it was getting wholesome.
So, when Bradshaw says Nick Saban reminds him of Chuck Noll? Even if he is half joking, and despite the fear, he does respect him. Just like he respected Noel. Because in Terry’s world, the greatest sign of respect might just be: “You scare the hell out of me.”
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