Alabama football players started classes on Wednesday, along with the rest of the school’s students. While some of the Crimson Tide’s graduate assistant coaches might have also had class, head coach Nick Saban was obviously not among them.

It’s been a fair amount of time since Saban started school at Kent State in 1969. On Wednesday, he was asked what he remembers from his first day of class.

“Nothing,” Saban said with a smile. “Do you know how many years ago that was?”

Around 54 years if Saban started his freshman year near when most colleges go back. He was mentioned as a freshman in the Daily Kent Stater student newspaper back in October of 1969.

Saban delved into his lasting memories from his college experience.

“The biggest thing I remember about going to college was… the day parents dropped me off at school and I felt like I was all alone and didn’t know anybody in the world,” Saban said. “And how difficult it was to sort of develop relationships and get started and figure out how do I fit in here and what do I need to do? So I remember that, but that wasn’t the first day of class”

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Saban said he also recalled the events of May 4, 1970, when the Ohio National Guard shot and killed four unarmed students and wounded nine during a Vietnam War protest. Saban was not present for the shooting, but did see the aftermath.

He praised the way his current Alabama team dealt with the first day of school on Wednesday.

” I told them last night, I said, ‘I know tomorrow is your first day of college – I’m talking about college, everybody. You’re going to college tomorrow.’” Saban said. ” So most of the time, that really impacts the quality of practice that we have, but that wasn’t the case today. They were focused in practice and they were ready to go. Maybe it’s online classes.”

Alabama opens the season Sept. 2 against Middle Tennessee State.

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