Nick Saban reveals his first reaction to Amari Cooper retirement

by: Alex Byington 1 hour ago _AlexByington

Jan 1, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Amari Cooper (9) during warm-ups prior to the 2015 Sugar Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

No one will accuse Amari Cooper of being a showman or particularly self-centered like other superstar receivers. Which is why his humble decision to retire on the opening day of the NFL’s 2025 season caught so many people by surprise, including his former collegiate head coach, Nick Saban .

During his weekly Friday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show , the former Alabama coach expressed shock with Cooper’s retirement decision Thursday afternoon, just hours before the league’s 2025 opener between the Dallas Cowboys and defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles .

“That shocked me,” Saban said Friday afternoon on ESPN. “He caught over 100 balls for us, I mean, he was fantastic when he played for us, and a great competitor. A very quiet guy, maybe a little misunderstood sometimes because he was so quiet, but a good person and a great competitor. He’s had a good career. I hate to see people like that not be able to continue their career for whatever reason, but I’m sure he’s got a good reason to hang it up.”

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