Worry is praying for the worst

With Alabama's big game against Florida just a few days away, and the turnaround that's taken place in Tuscaloosa this season, Nick Saban is a hot topic.

According to this article, Coach Saban consistently emphasizes principles such as "passion, commitment, discipline, hard work, time management, perseverance and pride in performance."

To ensure the message doesn't get stale, "[Coach] Saban has brought in professional speakers to talk to his team about a variety of issues."

Among those who have visited with Coach Saban's team this season is Kevin Elko, a motivational speaker and author who outlined a "step-by-step process for winning."

According to one Bama player, the 49-year-old Elko told "true-life stories of things he’s done and things he’s seen others do that proves you can push through it mentally. The first thing that goes is your mind — before your legs."

"One of the things he said is 'worry is praying for the worst.' That’s one thing I’ve really tried to hook on to. You can’t fret about practice and all that cause it’s gonna come. You just gotta make sure you execute. I think that really stuck with a lot of guys on the team."

Coach Saban contends that Elko "has a great message for [his] players — just about having a positive attitude, knowing what you want to accomplish and what are willing to do, and what are you telling yourself every day."

"A lot of people that think in winning you have to add something on," Elko said. "What I tell people is get rid of all things in your life that aren't winning and winning will find you. Mental clutter. Get rid of the garbage, the gossip. Get rid of everything on your mind that won't get you what you want."