Bryce Young explains what Nick Saban's postgame support meant to him

On3 imageby:Tyler Mansfield01/19/22

TMansfieldMedia

It’s already been nearly a week and a half since the College Football Playoff national championship game between Alabama and Georgia took place, but people are still talking about it – including Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young.

While he didn’t discuss the game specifically, Young was asked Tuesday during a Zoom press conference after being announced as the Manning Award winner about something Alabama head coach Nick Saban did following the national championship game.

While Young and linebacker Will Anderson were finishing their postgame press conference after the loss to Georgia, Saban asked the two players to stay for a minute longer and made an additional comment about them – saying that they both gave their all for the Tide all season long.

During his press conference on Tuesday, Young was asked what his head coach’s comments meant to him.

“Yeah, hearing Coach stand up for me and Will and to say the things that he had to say about us and the entire team, you know, just makes you want to play for Coach that much more,” Young said. “When you have a coach that has your back, that’s able to understand [what you’re going through] and talk to the media, to carry himself with a respect for us, that makes us what to play our hearts out for him. And just be coached by Coach Saban, by the greatest day-by-day, it’s just a huge blessing for me and for us as a team.”

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young named Manning Award winner

The list of accolades has continued to grow for Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young. On Tuesday, he was named the winner of the Manning Award, given out to the nation’s top quarterback in the country.

Young wins the award after throwing for 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns over a 15 game period for the Crimson Tide. The Manning Award takes postseason performance into consideration as well, with Young leading Alabama to the national championship game.

The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl to celebrate the accomplishments of Archie, Peyton, and Eli Manning. Each of those three, plus members of the media, gets to vote on the award on a yearly basis.

“Congratulations to Bryce Young on being selected as the winner of the 18th annual Manning Award,” Archie Manning said in a statement. “It’s quite a challenge to replace an All-American quarterback on a national championship team; and Bryce answered that challenge with a tremendous season.”