Nick Saban doubled down on decision to start Jermaine Burton with bogus claim

Nick Saban made the decision to start Jermaine Burton after the Alabama WR struck a female Tennessee fan on the field and his defense was shaky at best.

College football fans were appalled at Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Jermaine Burton after video surfaced of him on the field in the aftermath of Tennessee beating them in Week 7 and the fans rushing the field. The video showed pretty clearly that Burton struck/hit a female Tennessee fan as he exited the field, causing a righteous uproar for punishment from Nick Saban.

Instead, as Alabama took the field for their next game on Saturday against Mississippi State, the Georgia transfer got the start at receiver, something that caused an outcry among fans on social media as to how Saban could justify that given what everyone saw on the video.

After the win over Mississippi State, though, the Crimson Tide head coach was asked about that and he offered his explanation, saying that anyone who hasn’t been on the field when fans rush onto it wouldn’t understand the feelings in that situation. He also said that he talked with Burton and that Saban, Burton, and all of the Alabama players were “scared” in the moment, which contributed to the receiver’s actions.

Alabama football: Nick Saban delivers unsatisfactory defense of starting Jermaine Burton

If you’re not buying that answer, you shouldn’t.

For starters, the old “you wouldn’t understand” argument is the exact type of thing that someone who is trying to justify inexplicable actions makes. At best, it’s a cop-out to start the answer. But beyond that, Saban then talking about being scared in the crowd is understandable. However, we’ve all seen the video.

Burton at the time that he struck the female fan was basically in a clearing and not near any fast-moving crowds of people. Moreover, the fan clearly side-stepped the receiver before he reached back to hit/slap/strike her. So again, that part of the argument shouldn’t carry any water either.

All told, this is a bad moment for Saban and the Alabama football program. Burton should’ve been suspended for, at minimum, the game against Mississippi State and perhaps longer. The fact that he took the field and likely only had to run extra sprints and attend a counseling program is insufficient, and it’s difficult to believe Saban doesn’t also know this given his response to the matter as he doubled down on his decision.

We can only hope that Burton does indeed learn from his actions and does not repeat them in any facet of his life moving forward. But in the narrow scope of the Crimson Tide program, this is a bad look that Nick Saban only made worse with his defense of how he handled it.

For more College Football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.