Clay Helton's admiration for Nick Saban dates back to high school

During Clay Helton's final two years of high school, he spent a lot of time around the Houston Oilers coaching staff. Jerry Glanville was the team's head coach and Helton's father, Kim, coached the offensive line.

There was a lot to take in for Helton, then an aspiring quarterback, but, for whatever reason, one repeated interaction he had with his dad has stuck with him.

"I'm sitting there getting to be around my dad a bunch and just remembering Dad always saying, ‘Hey, that guy's going to be a terrific coach,'" Helton said, "and he already was, really."

Terrific, at this point, doesn't begin to cover just how good that guy has turned out to be.

"For our generation, he's the pinnacle," Clay…