After a successful stint at the University of Alabama under legendary head coach Nick Saban, Jahmir Gibbs, who was selected No. 12 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, could have a very bright future in the NFL.
The Lions bringing in Gibbs in the first round of the draft was unexpected and left many scratching their heads, especially with De’Andre Swift in Detroit.
Detroit was confident enough in Gibbs’ ability that the team traded Swift to the Philadelphia Eagles, establishing the rookie as a starter in the backfield right out of the gate to begin his career at the next level.
So far during his short time with the Lions, Gibbs has noticed a big difference between the college practices in Detroit compared to what he’s encountered at the NFL level so far.
According to Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News via Dov Kleiman, Gibbs prefers the practices in the NFL compared to what appears to be a brutal experience at Saban’s practices in Alabama.
#Lion RB Jahmir Gibbs on the difference between a practice in the NFL and a practice under Nick Saban:
“Here, we get good work, but they don’t try to kill us.”
(Via @nolanbianchi, pic.twitter.com/ZEtzEkGooQ
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 11, 2023
Gibbs coming out and saying this about the Saban-run practice isn’t surprising, as in college, head coaches have had to impose their will and dictate who’s boss while molding players into primetime football players.
For the NFL, lucrative contracts are at stake and pushing players too far seems like a thing of the past as it comes with a lot of risk and players potentially wanting to play for another team if practices are top-notch.
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