Since Nick Saban stepped down as Alabama’s football coach on Wednesday, former Crimson Tide players in the NFL have offered testimonials to the impact of their college coach on their pro careers.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris provided similar comments on Friday, but he thought the coach’s wife should be remembered, too.

“My four years in Alabama, he taught me a lot of the X’s and O’s and what to expect in the NFL,” Harris said. “We had a lot of meetings, just one-on-one, of things I needed to work on and just improve on my game and just really how to become a first-rounder for a running back, even though a lot of people don’t like that. He really elevated me in a way. …

“Me being there, knowing what Saban alone, besides the college coach and the NFL, just him as a person, what he did in the community — him and Miss Terry. And not only that, but what Miss Terry did for my own family, like my mom. I remember my mom was sick, she came in the hospital, and she went out of her way. Came to the hospital and went to attend her and give her flowers and stuff. That little stuff right there means a lot to me personally because my mother is obviously somebody special in my life. And for Miss Terry to go in there and do that, it means a lot.

“It’s things that they have done besides football that not only the university likes but just the state of Alabama, the state itself.”

Harris was around to talk to reporters about the Sabans because the Steelers closed the regular season on a three-game winning streak to earn the final wild-card spot in the AFC postseason field.

Harris played a part in Pittsburgh’s push into the playoffs. The former Alabama All-American ran for 312 yards and four touchdowns on 72 carries in the three victories. Harris averaged 104 rushing yards per game and 4.33 yards per carry in the past three contests after averaging 51.6 rushing yards per game and 3.95 yards per carry in the first 14 games of the 2023 season.

“I think it’s not just me,” Harris said. “I think it’s more of everybody. We all are kind of molding together at the right time.”

Harris’ final push lifted his season total to 1,035 rushing yards, making him the 18th player in NFL history to reach 1,000 in each of his first three seasons.

RELATED: NAJEE HARRIS REACHES RUSHING MILESTONE FOR THE THIRD SEASON IN A ROW

Pittsburgh launched its run to the playoffs off a base of three consecutive December defeats, including back-to-back losses to the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots, a pair of teams that had two victories apiece at the time they upended the Steelers.

“We had our losing streaks,” Harris said. “We had our rough times. But like any other thing in life, you just got to keep going, keep pushing, and that’s what we have done. We’re not worried about the outside noise. …

“If you lose the locker room, then you lose everything. We never done that. We never lost the locker room. We never looked at anybody’s eyes and said, like, ‘I don’t trust you,’ or all the stuff that you guys are writing. It’s never like that. We always knew we could be capable of this. We knew we could be capable of winning out even.”

The Steelers start the postseason against the Buffalo Bills. The teams were scheduled to meet on Sunday afternoon. But because public-safety concerns associated with the frigid, snowy and windy weather in western New York, the game was postponed to 3:30 p.m. CST Monday at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. CBS will televise the game.

“It’s not a factor for us,” Harris said of bad weather. “Us being even in Pittsburgh. It gets cold here, so it’s not nothing new to us. We’re prepared for that. We’re happy to even be in those type of environments. …

“It’s a mentality thing, so we’re excited for this week and the opportunity we have.”

If Pittsburgh wins, the Steelers would travel again in the Divisional Round to face the Baltimore Ravens for the third time this season. A Buffalo victory would keep the Bills at home for the second round of the playoffs, with the Kansas City Chiefs as the Divisional Round opponent.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.