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NY Giants’ Joe Judge ‘confident’ Alabama’s Nick Saban will beat COVID-19

By Matt Lombardo

Oct 10, 2020; Oxford, MX, USA; Alabama head coach Nick Saban before the game against Mississippi at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kent Gidley via USA TODAY Sports
Oct 10, 2020; Oxford, MX, USA; Alabama head coach Nick Saban before the game against Mississippi at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kent Gidley via USA TODAY Sports /
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NY Giants coach Joe Judge offered encouragement to Alabama Football head coach Nick Saban after Saban tested positive for COVID-19

Alabama football head coach Nick Saban was dealt what might be his most formidable opponent yet, when he tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday.

“He’ll probably beat COVID, he’s got a pretty good record against every other opponent,” NY Giants head coach Joe Judge said Thursday. “I’m pretty confident he’ll come through there.”

Saban was one of Judge’s coaching mentors. The Giants’ rookie head coach spent three seasons as a special teams assistant under Saban with the Crimson Tide from 2009-2011.

Despite being one of the biggest proponents of mask wearing, Saban’s diagnosis proves the virus is always lurking around every corner, with over 217,000 Americans and counting dead of the virus.

Judge says he has stressed to his players the importance of taking the virus seriously.

“We’ve got to be concious of what’s going on around the league,” Judge said. “You look at some of the other teams that have shut down, you’re very conscious in terms of teams you had exposure to as opponents, I think you see teams have popped up with a case here or case there after playing another team.

“The biggest thing we do here is enforce the protocols. We stay on it. We harp it. I’m not going to lie and act like it’s some sort of magic bubble we live in. Coaches and players all get tired of hearing ‘stay spaced out,’ make sure your mask’s on, stay apart, make sure your [contact] tracer’s uplinked. It’s day in and day out.”

As the Atlanta Falcons were forced to shut down their facility Thursday, Judge has made it a point of emphasis to his players to stay vigilant with the COVID-19 protocols in place.

“There’s a natural wear on you as a person, but you’ve got to stay committed. Not one of us opted out. We chose this league. We’re going to go through this, and we were going to make the necessary sacrifices to have a successful season. These protocols are all part of it.”

Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL. 

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