What Alabama AD Greg Byrne said about Nick Saban, Jimbo Fisher feud

MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — When Nick Saban's comments in Birmingham about Texas A&M buying its recruiting class were brought up to Greg Byrne, the Alabama athletics director thought back to another conversation. 

Byrne, who was speaking at the SEC spring meetings Wednesday at the Hilton Sandestin resort, was on the NCAA football oversight committee for about four years. He and Saban often talked about different issues. One of the first ones Byrne remembers? 

A discussion on kick returns. 

Byrne said he briefly asked Saban for feedback. Alabama's coach called the next day with detailed thoughts on the safety and well-being of players on kickoffs and the health of the game. Byrne told this story to emphasize Saban's passion for the game of college football. 

"There would be times with him I would say to him, 'Hey what you’re saying here may not be the very best thing for Alabama,'" Byrne said. "He would often say, ‘But this is right for the game of football. This is right for college sports.’ I think he deserves a lot of credit for the things he says and does out there publicly is not only looking at what’s right for our program and university and our student-athletes but he’s also looking at it right for the game of football moving forward." 

On May 19, Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher held a press conference the day after Saban's comments, calling Saban a narcissist and that he should have maybe been slapped as a child.

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Fisher also said that some people think they're God and that people should "go dig into how God did his deal."

Byrne was asked about his response to Fisher suggesting people should look more into Saban. 

"I think Coach Fisher was fired up," Byrne said. "He has worked with Coach Saban. Obviously has benefited from working with Coach Saban just like a lot of other coaches have. I know we feel very good about our compliance and what we do at Alabama. That has been in the past and is going to continue into the future." 

Saban soon apologized for singling out individual programs. Fisher said he and Saban are not talking when he spoke to KSAT-TV in San Antonio later in the week.

The two are in meetings this week with all SEC coaches. Saban said he has no problems with Fisher. The Aggies coach said Wednesday afternoon he's done talking about it. 

"We're moving on to the future of what goes on and trying to fix the problems of what we have in college football," Fisher said. "We have a lot more pressing needs than our arguments."

Nick Kelly covers Alabama football and men's basketball for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at nkelly@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter: @_NickKelly