Nick Saban defends how Cam Robinson, Hootie Jones have been disciplined

And Southeastern Conference media days is when coach Nick Saban takes the podium each July and notes that it’s hard to really tell before the season how a team will develop and gel. Robinson was initially charged with illegal possession of stolen firearms, a felony, as well as possession of a controlled risky substance and illegal carrying of a weapon in the presence of narcotics.

Fourth Judicial Disctrict Attorney Jerry Jones declined to prosecute Robinson and Jones last month due to “insufficient evidence”. The charges ended up being dropped, and Saban implied that neither player will be suspended for the season opener against USC as long as they continue with their community service efforts.

“He’s driven to be the best, and I think that’s what makes him different”, said Smart, Georgia’s first-year head coach. Since the DA did not charge the two players, Saban would do what was in the best interest of the players, not in the best interest of his public relations.

Robinson, a former five-star offensive tackle from West Monroe High School, and Jones, a four-star safety who prepped at Monroe’s Neville High School, signed with Alabama in 2014.

“Do you think they were persecuting the football players?”

Finebaum: A lot of people say that’s a very bad look for your program, that you’re working it out internally, but not suspending him publicly for an important game against Southern Cal. How do you answer those critics? Saban is not going to do anything that is a detriment to the team, so you have to come with intensity every day and prove why you deserve to play.

Finebaum responded that he was just asking why Saban wasn’t suspending Robinson. “And if the players really did anything that wrong, they would have gotten charged with something”. I’m going to do what’s right for the players. Now, do we condone the behavior? “No. But you’re innocent until you’re proven guilty in this country regardless if you get convicted in the media or not, which is what you’re doing to these players”, Saban said. According to AL.com, Saban went on a “four-letter tirade” against Finebaum and hinted that the arresting officers were LSU fans, although it did end with laughter from the group.

That’s the end of the conversation.