Phil Savage has been part of the NFL for twenty years serving as a coach, scout, player personnel executive, and general manager. His football experience includes working with Bill Belichick, Nick Saban, Homer Smith, Bill Curry, Terry Donahue, Ozzie Newsome, and others.  Phil currently is a personnel executive in the NFL and on Saturdays in the fall he can be found in broadcast booth serving alongside Eli Gold as football color analyst for the University of Alabama. Phil has been part of two national championship teams at the University of Alabama and one Super Bowl championship with the Baltimore Ravens. Below are portions of a short-interview we did with him for Adullam online magazine. Visit www.twelve23.org to register for the magazine irf interested.

How has the University of Alabama established such a long-term winning tradition?
When President George Denny took over the University of Alabama in the early 1900′s, he made a declaration that he wanted the school to be known for football. He put an emphasis on the game. He got the right coaches, and they began to win. They went to several Rose Bowls and won their first national championship in 1925. In this case, I think success begets success. By and large, the very foundation of the winning program was established almost 100 years ago, and we’re still building off that now. With the exemption of a few years here and there, Alabama has been very successful in almost every decade since the beginning.

Do you expect Alabama to be in the hunt for another national title again next season?
Alabama is certainly going to be up for national honors. They’re bringing back an experienced quarterback with a national championship under his belt. They definitely have the resources they need. Saban is the best defensive coach and coordinator in the country. He’s got a younger group of players about to emerge who have learned what it takes to win. They really have a drive to play to a certain standard, regardless of opponent or circumstance. The players have evolved into Saban’s principles of playing your absolute best, regardless of their situation or circumstance. They showed a lot of maturity this year as a team, and the younger players will be able to continue that next year.

You’ve been connected with Saban for more than 20 years. Have you seen his leadership progress or has he always been a dynamic coach and leader?  Continue Reading…