When Class of 2022 running back Gavin Sawchuk first talked to Nick Saban in May he didn’t have to think about who to call first. Overcome with excitement, the four-star back rang up longtime trainer Jermaine Stafford to break the news.
Stafford, a former defensive back and receiver for Michigan State, still thinks about his time playing under Saban from 1995-96. He now dubs that period the “Saban years,” referring to it as one of the most influential times of his life.