Nick Saban’s Daughter Mocks Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye’s Denver Trip

This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye head to Denver on Sunday for the AFC Championship Game against the Broncos. The Patriots coach and his rookie quarterback face Sean Payton on January 25. But before kickoff, Nick Saban’s daughter decided to have some fun with the high-stakes showdown. Kristen Saban turned the Patriots’ trip into viral content that’s got people talking about a quarterback her father once recruited.

Kristen Saban reshared a meme video on her Instagram stories Saturday with the caption “No because this is so good.” The clip uses a famous scene from the 2010 heist film The Town, set in Boston, to frame Vrabel and Maye as partners on a mission. Vrabel’s face is superimposed over Ben Affleck’s character, who says, “I need your help. I can’t tell you what it is, you can never ask me about it later, and we’re gonna hurt some people.” Maye’s face replaces Jeremy Renner’s, responding without hesitation, “Whose car we gonna take?”

The meme captures what’s become a popular sports trope: absolute loyalty between coach and player. Maye spoke Friday about experiencing his first road playoff game after winning two at home. “They always talk about the importance of home playoff games. I didn’t really understand that until I was in one,” he said. Since Payton took over in 2024, only three road teams have won in Denver.

Kristen’s playful jab carries extra meaning given her father’s history with Maye. The irony of a Saban mocking the quarterback who got away isn’t lost on anyone paying attention to how Maye’s career unfolded.

The Nick Saban Alabama Offer That Almost Changed Everything

Drake Maye nearly became a Crimson Tide quarterback before ever putting on a North Carolina uniform. Nick Saban offered him during high school, and Maye couldn’t ignore the pull of playing for college football’s biggest program.

Maye actually committed to Alabama early in his high school career. He remembered calling North Carolina coach Mack Brown to deliver the news. “I want to win, and I just don’t see it,” Maye told Brown about the Tar Heels, who had won only five games in 2017 and 2018 combined under Larry Fedora. Brown wasn’t happy but fired back with a promise. “Well, you’re going to see it,” he replied.

Maye eventually flipped to North Carolina and became a Heisman Trophy candidate in 2022. Now he’s one win away from the Super Bowl while Kristen Saban posts memes about his playoff run. Alabama, early in Maye’s career, seemed like something he couldn’t pass up. But passing it up landed him exactly where the meme suggests: on a mission to Denver with Vrabel, ready to hurt some people’s feelings.