My office on the University of Alabama campus is near Bryant-Denny Stadium so I frequently park near the stadium. As I was walking to my car not too long ago, a car stopped and a young man asked through the window, “Where can I go to see the coach?” The young man was in the passenger seat and I suspect the driver was his mama. They were probably attending orientation prior to the beginning of the Fall semester.
I’ve worked at the University for 25 years (I recently got a commemorative key chain to prove it.) and I can attest that football coaches here tend to get mobbed when they’re spotted. I can remember Bear Bryant taking an occasional stroll across campus and people treated him with respect and admiration, but nowadays people tend to hound celebrities for autographs and photos everywhere they go. And UA football coaches are celebrities.
I had to tell the young man I didn’t know where he could go to see the coach. I’ve never seen him just standing around outside the stadium. The car drove off and I’m sure those folks were disappointed.
Then it occurred to me that coach Saban will soon be easy to see standing outside the stadium. He’ll be there all day and all night every day, rain or shine. There will soon be a statue of Nick Saban added to the Walk of Champions in front of the stadium. Then he’ll be easy to point out if I’m ever asked again.