Spotlight On Nick Saban Doesn’t Overshadow Other Magic At La. Sports Hall Of Fame Induction

By DOUG IRELAND, ShreveportBossierJournal.com

(Reprinted with permission from Journal Services)

NATCHITOCHES – Nick Saban.

For plenty of people, college football’s most successful coach is the reason they eagerly anticipated last weekend’s 2025 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration.

Understandable. While winning seven national championships and 292 games as head coach at Kent State, Michigan State, LSU and Rammer, Jammer, Alabammer, Saban developed a persona that has made him something of a cultural icon in recent years. It goes beyond sports – he’s become a ubiquitous pitchman in the television industry.

@lpborg to replay LSHOF Induction Ceremony statewide this holiday weekend

📺 Where to Watch: https://t.co/HOZPCcR9ox#lshof #louisianalegends #4thofJuly pic.twitter.com/RgdLaomuAd

— Louisiana Sports HOF (@LaSportsHall) July 4, 2025

Wednesday and Thursday last week, he was in LA – Los Angeles, not Louisiana – filming this year’s AFLAC commercials with Deion and a snarky duck.

Another commercial obligation Friday landed him in Wyoming. Saturday, he flew into Natchitoches and immediately asked if he and Mrs. Terry could visit the Hall of Fame museum.

Coach Nick Saban was formally inducted into the ⁦@LaSportsHall⁩ it was wonderful to see. He’s said on many occasions, “I should have never left LSU.” Yeah he eventually became the 🐐 ⁦@AlabamaFTBL⁩ but ⁦⁦@LSUfootball⁩’s Golden era began with his 2003 Title.👏 pic.twitter.com/ng4eepo8Pr

— Tim Brando (@TimBrando) June 29, 2025

Heck with resting in the beautiful Ducournau Townhouse – he wanted to see Coach Rob’s hat, the picture of John David Crow backstage with his folks at the 1957 Heisman Trophy dinner, Buck Buchanan’s Chiefs’ jersey, … basically everything he could take in at the two-story, 27,000-square foot shrine at 800 Front Street.

Autographs? He signed more than a few. Posed for plenty of pictures.

I felt bad about forgetting to bring a tie last weekend to the ⁦⁦@LaSportsHall⁩ … until I saw this dude without one, too. pic.twitter.com/AhdVQOaHMh

— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) July 4, 2025

He asked for seconds on the jambalaya – “best I’ve ever had. Terry, you’ve got to try this,” he said – and enjoyed gazing at the Manning quarterbacks jersey set, Kim Mulkey’s USA Olympic No. 12, Vida Blue’s San Francisco Giants 14 jersey with just his first name on it, and David Toms’ Ryder Cup golf bag.

He was eager to reunite with his former LSU player, Andrew Whitworth. Big Whit was one of Saban’s first Tiger recruits, swung from being a Florida Gator because Saban told him his NFL future was at offensive tackle, not tight end. Funny that 22 years after, they were keys to LSU’s 2003 national championship, they joined a different sort of celebration in Louisiana’s most historic city, with the small town charm that makes it our state’s version of Cooperstown.

Years ago, Saban forfeited the right to be incognito and became the head turner in just about any room he entered. No different this weekend. But he didn’t bring along any arrogance or indifference. He was engaging with fellow inductees, dignitaries, and regular Joes. He buddied up with Natchitoches Parish sheriff’s deputy Benjie Phelps (a huge Alabama fan) and took every cue from the Hall’s VIP concierge and security coordinator extraordinaire Steve Pezant.

Backstage before the Walk of Legends to kick off the ceremony, Saban was delighted to reunite with retired LSU gymnastics coach D-D Breaux and the Ruston Rifle, LSU All-American and 1976 NFL MVP Bert Jones, among the nearly three dozen former inductees on hand. He had a nice visit with LSHOF journalist Ron Higgins.

And if you were curious, there was nothing lukewarm about the reception he got from the record crowd of 884 at the Natchitoches Events Center. He definitely felt the adoration.

He was zoned in during his on-stage induction interview, making sure the audience knew how much he appreciated his opportunity at LSU, and his deep pride in what was accomplished in his five seasons and since, not only in football but throughout Tiger athletics.

But as fascinating as all that was, some other powerful moments are what I’ll take away from the 2025 festivities.

Vickie Johnson overwhelmed with emotion, stopping for 10 seconds to gather herself when she recalled her single mom’s role in her life.

Proud sons Robert Soileau and Neil Weiner, standing in for their ailing dads, LSU national champion boxer Bobby Soileau and Catholic High football coach Dale Weiner. The younger Soileau wore a button on his Hall of Fame blazer and tugged at it, paying tribute to his father, 89, whose achievements are shrouded and all but erased from his memory by dementia. Dale Weiner, ravaged by Parkinson’s, emerged from a 40-day hospital stay to make it to the ceremony ferried by former coaching colleague and now Baton Rouge mayor Sid Edwards. Neil pointed to his dad when introduced in the Walk of Legends and for the induction interview, and Dale smiled in appreciation.

And the presentation, for only the third time since its inception in 2013, of the Marty Mule’ Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Hero Award, to 20-year LSHOF operations assistant Ronnette Pellegrin. Her passion for this event and commitment to assuring nothing less than a great experience for everyone participating, from inductees to patrons to parents of kids in the free Junior Training Camp, is very much the heartbeat of the Hall.

There’s a lot more to experience. You can do that Sunday afternoon, starting at 1:30 p.m., by tuning in to the Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB) replay of its live Walk of Legends to Legends Lineup coverage of the ceremony.

You may have something else to do Sunday, but you can still tape it. Record it and mine the golden moments from a spectacular celebration of our state’s remarkable sports excellence.

Contact Doug at [email protected]