Why Nick Saban allegedly jumped to Alabama after NFL stint

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Before Nick Saban became the uber-successful college football coach, he had a messy breakup with the Miami Dolphins.

Saban was hired by the Dolphins from LSU on Christmas Day 2004 and coached the team for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. As the Alabama rumors began to heat up, he asserted he was not going to become the new head coach of the Crimson Tide and tried to downplay questions about leaving for Tuscaloosa.

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He infamously told reporters: "I guess I have to say it. I'm not going to be the Alabama coach."

But about two weeks later, Saban would take over as Alabama’s head coach on an eight-year contract. The rest is pretty much history, as Saban won the seventh national championship of his career earlier this month and his sixth with Alabama.

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FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer talked about the Saban controversy and revealed a new story about Saban leaving Alabama for the Dolphins.

"Nick Saban, the reason why he didn’t make it in the NFL, Daunte Culpepper tried to fight him one day and the security guy stepped in," Glazer said on "The Herd" on Tuesday. "And then I think his final straw is that he questioned Zach Thomas’ toughness and Zach almost kicked his butt. That just doesn’t work on this level."

The alleged fights might have been a blessing in disguise.

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Saban has been the face of college football for more than a decade while Daunte Culpepper’s career faded away and Zach Thomas ended with a borderline Hall of Fame NFL career.