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In my forty years as a player and coach, one team of mine stands out as defining the concept of team. And that team won the national championship. Obviously, that is no coincidence. At the start of the 2003 season, I had a sense that this group of young men understood. I had no idea we would get so far, but I knew the ingredients were there. We elected no captains as we had no dominant leader, but we had lots of character. We had conviction and consistency, and the players bought into the team concept. It seemed like every game someone else stepped up, from freshman running back Justin Vincent to defensive tackle Chad Lavalais to our punter, Donnie Jones. Somehow, some way, we managed to win all but one of our games. Even after our one loss, at home to Florida, the players didn’t point fingers, but rather looked at how each one of us could get better. It was remarkable. The fact that one team that I have been associated with in forty years was truly a team should tell you just how difficult it is. On the flip side of the national championship LSU team is the Michigan State team of 1998. We were loaded headed into the season, and expectations were high. But distractions and personal agendas crippled the team concept. Star defender Dimitrius Underwood decided to sit out the entire season, refusing to suit up. Other guys were more concerned about their draft position than winning games. It was the most talented team I’d had in East Lansing but we struggled to a 6–6 record. Remarkably, the following year, when we were less talented but more of a team, we won nine games and then beat Florida in the Citrus Bowl to end up 10–2. It just isn’t a coincidence.
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Nick Saban (How Good Do You Want to Be?: A Champion's Tips on How to Lead and Succeed at Work and in Life)