Nick Saban names Alabama Pro Bowler that is a 'little bit misunderstood'

As the NFL world grapples with the fact that one of the best teams in the AFC, the Buffalo Bills , just landed a new Pro Bowl wide receiver to go with their Pro Bowl QB, fans have taken a chance to reevaluate Alabama product Amari Cooper to see what kind of weapon he can be in a non-Cleveland Browns offense.

Sure, Cooper put up numbers and earned accolades as a member of the Browns, but his team has a combined record of 19-21 over the past three years and only really looked like a threat when an almost 40-year-old Joe Flacco was under center. With Kevin Stefanski seemingly unwilling – or not allowed – to start anyone but Dashaun Watson moving forward, Cooper became an unnecessary luxury and worth more in Buffalo than in Cleveland.

Discussing Cooper as both a player and a man in an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, his college coach, Nick Saban , admitted that his former WR1 might be a " little bit misunderstood " because he's quiet but is still a premier talent.

"I mean, he was never in trouble. He never came in my office. He did everything he was supposed to do. He's a great person. Went to class. Did everything you asked. Practiced hard. Did everything. But never said a word. Sometimes as a coach, you feel like, well this guy is not really with it. Or he's not really with us. But he is. He's a great competitor. He made a lot of plays that made huge impacts on game. I think he has the capability of doing that. He's just a very shy personality."

While Cooper was once a major player for the Dallas Cowboys, earning headlines, television graphics, and plenty of jersey sales as the team's WR1, he was never the showy Odell Beckham Jr. type who would dye his hair blonde and pursue as many headlines for his off-field antics as his on-field play. Fortunately, if he can put up another 1,000-yard season in Buffalo, it's safe to say he will become a bigger star moving forward, and fans will get to see the man Saban coached to a top-5 pick in the 2015 NFL draft.

Amari Cooper considers Nick Saban a father figure at Alabama

Despite having a quiet, professional relationship with Saban during his time at Alabama, Cooper was still very torn up with the long-time Crimson Tide head coach called it a career, telling The Chronicle-Telegram that he considers the ESPN analyst a " father figure " for their shared time together.

"I would give him all his credit," Cooper explained via BrownsZone. "I came into Alabama as a boy; I left a man. I learned so many lessons from Coach Saban, whether they were hard lessons or whether they were just small critiques, or whether he was just trying to edify me on something. But however the lesson came, I received it, and I'm grateful for it.

"He's truly an amazing coach, truly an amazing guy. Everything that he has done that led him to that point, his degree in psychology and everything, I admire him so much. He's really like a father figure."

Did Cooper and Saban have the closest relationship around? No, probably not, but his program helped to turn the five-star recruit into a more mature adult, and in the end, that's a huge part of Saban's legacy too.