--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the worst thing a player can do…" description: "\"I think the worst thing a player can do is just not be yourself.\" — Nick Saban" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f95/nick-saban-2879_be-yourself_i-think-the-worst-thing-a-player-can-do_1952183.jpg" --- # I think the worst thing a player can do is just not be… ![“I think the worst thing a player can do is just not be yourself.” quote by Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f95/nick-saban-2879_be-yourself_i-think-the-worst-thing-a-player-can-do_1952183.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f95/nick-saban-2879_be-yourself_i-think-the-worst-thing-a-player-can-do_1952183.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f95/nick-saban-2879_be-yourself_i-think-the-worst-thing-a-player-can-do_1952183.jpg) > “I think the worst thing a player can do is just not be yourself.” [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Athletes who abandon their authentic selves lose authenticity, which harms performance and personal fulfillment. **In simple terms:** Players must stay true to themselves. Key Takeaway Play authentically. Themes authenticity performance identity Mood motivational reflective Type sports psychological When to use this quote - sports coaching - personal branding - leadership training - mental health counseling Key Concepts self‑expression team dynamics mental health Questions to Reflect On - How does authenticity affect teamwork? - What steps help maintain self‑identity? A Different Perspective Pressure to conform can be strong. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Be yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-yourself/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/player/) [Player Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/player-just/) [Thing Player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-player-3174223/) [Think Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-worst/) [Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst/) [Worst thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst-thing/) [Yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yourself/) ## Related quotes > [Growing as a man, I had to go through some stuff first. I had to figure this thing out, find out who I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-davis/growing-as-a-man-i-had-to-go-through-some-stuff-first-i-had-to-figure/) [Vernon Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-davis/) > [I used to think that the worst thing in life was to end up alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/i-used-to-think-that-the-worst-thing-in-life-was-to-end-up-alone-it-s/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [I used to think that the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/i-used-to-think-that-the-worst-thing-in-life-was-to-end-up-all-alone/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [“I am stronger than I am broken. I don’t want them, or anyone, to think I am nothing more than the worst thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/i-am-stronger-than-i-am-broken-i-don-t-want-them-or-anyone-to-think-i/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) > [“That happens in life sometimes, doesn't it? Something terrible happens and you think it's the worst thing ever and then it turns out to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-morgan/that-happens-in-life-sometimes-doesn-t-it-something-terrible-happens/) [Sarah Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-morgan/) > [I think the worst thing that's happened to sports is 'sources say.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-griffin/i-think-the-worst-thing-that-s-happened-to-sports-is-sources-say/) [Blake Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-griffin/) > [I am not a movie star or a football player, I just do my thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manolo-blahnik/i-am-not-a-movie-star-or-a-football-player-i-just-do-my-thing/) [Manolo Blahnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manolo-blahnik/) > [My job as a player is just to play, whatever environment I'm in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jozy-altidore/my-job-as-a-player-is-just-to-play-whatever-environment-i-m-in/) [Jozy Altidore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jozy-altidore/) > [I love sports. If I could be a baseball player I would. I just am not good at it at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hutchinson/i-love-sports-if-i-could-be-a-baseball-player-i-would-i-just-am-not/) [Eric Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hutchinson/) > [The thing that can get confusing is you think, is this guy really a good player or does he just seem that way based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/the-thing-that-can-get-confusing-is-you-think-is-this-guy-really-a/) [Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) > [As a player, I just want to be remembered as a good teammate, that's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-urlacher/as-a-player-i-just-want-to-be-remembered-as-a-good-teammate-that-s-it/) [Brian Urlacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-urlacher/) > [I don't know if anybody knows this, but Serena's my favorite player. Just playing against her is kind of like a dream for me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-osaka/i-don-t-know-if-anybody-knows-this-but-serena-s-my-favorite-player/) [Naomi Osaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-osaka/) > [As a player, you just want to be at a club where you can achieve everything you want to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-pirlo/as-a-player-you-just-want-to-be-at-a-club-where-you-can-achieve/) [Andrea Pirlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-pirlo/) > [A good player is a good player, it's just that we cannot afford signings that do not work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-dyche/a-good-player-is-a-good-player-it-s-just-that-we-cannot-afford/) [Sean Dyche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-dyche/) > [I feel like I am a much better player than just trying to keep my card or whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-feel-like-i-am-a-much-better-player-than-just-trying-to-keep-my/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) ## More by Nick Saban > [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [We create a standard for how we want to do things and everybody's got to buy into that standard or you really can't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/we-create-a-standard-for-how-we-want-to-do-things-and-everybody-s-got/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [What makes Freddy Krueger such a horrible character? What makes him scare you to death? You can't get rid of the guy. He never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/what-makes-freddy-krueger-such-a-horrible-character-what-makes-him/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I said as soon as we had a playoff, we were going to minimize the importance of all the other bowl games. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-said-as-soon-as-we-had-a-playoff-we-were-going-to-minimize-the/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [Our goal is to work against things we have not seen that we will see in the near future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/our-goal-is-to-work-against-things-we-have-not-seen-that-we-will-see/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I've always been able to stay focused on trying to recruit good players and trying to develop those players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-ve-always-been-able-to-stay-focused-on-trying-to-recruit-good/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I think people always assume that every team has great intangibles, and that's not necessarily right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-think-people-always-assume-that-every-team-has-great-intangibles/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I think there's a certain pride people have in competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-think-there-s-a-certain-pride-people-have-in-competition/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [Soccer is a continuous game, rugby is a continuous game, but for the physical elements that are involved in playing a football game and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/soccer-is-a-continuous-game-rugby-is-a-continuous-game-but-for-the/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [You can't allow yourself to be vulnerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/you-can-t-allow-yourself-to-be-vulnerable/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/there-are-two-pains-in-life-there-is-the-pain-of-discipline-and-the/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [As a coach, when it comes to football players, we're trying to change their behavior and make them better. As people, we're trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/as-a-coach-when-it-comes-to-football-players-we-re-trying-to-change/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [We're not going to talk about what we're going to accomplish, we're going to talk about how we're going to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/we-re-not-going-to-talk-about-what-we-re-going-to-accomplish-we-re/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [I want what's best for people who want to improve the quality of their life. I hope whoever our leader is will do all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-want-what-s-best-for-people-who-want-to-improve-the-quality-of/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) > [The thing that concerns me the most is when I hear that people are making a lot of money a lot of ways except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/the-thing-that-concerns-me-the-most-is-when-i-hear-that-people-are/) [Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) [Explore all 147 Nick Saban quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/) ## More Be yourself quotes > [Be proud of who you are & who you represent.You are unique, there is no other exactly like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/be-proud-of-who-you-are-who-you-represent-you-are-unique-there-is-no/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [Make-up can't cover up an ugly personality!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/make-up-can-t-cover-up-an-ugly-personality/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I does wat I does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-does-wat-i-does/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Change nothing, just be yourself to experience peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tapan-ghosh/change-nothing-just-be-yourself-to-experience-peace/) [Tapan Ghosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tapan-ghosh/) > [No matter how badly people treat you, never drop down to their level. It will only excite them more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-matter-how-badly-people-treat-you-never-drop-down-to-their-level/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You go into extinction by being obsessed about becoming something else and then travelling in the wrong car while your real self keeps waiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/you-go-into-extinction-by-being-obsessed-about-becoming-something/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [It's always brave to be yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-yifei/it-s-always-brave-to-be-yourself/) [Liu Yifei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-yifei/) > [My true Self is free. I cannot be contained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/my-true-self-is-free-i-cannot-be-contained/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Why is it that anyone can pretend to be someone there not and never be someone they are?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akeem/why-is-it-that-anyone-can-pretend-to-be-someone-there-not-and-never/) [Akeem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akeem/) > [You can never change the Past, not control the future. But, you can change the mood of the day, by touching someone's Heart with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu/you-can-never-change-the-past-not-control-the-future-but-you-can/) [Ritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu/) > [Just be you. Do what you love. I've learned that in the end, you can't make everyone happy no matter what you say or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/just-be-you-do-what-you-love-i-ve-learned-that-in-the-end-you-can-t/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Nothing has power over you unless you allow it. No matter what happens, you can choose what and how to think, act, and speak!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-has-power-over-you-unless-you-allow-it-no-matter-what-happens/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Be who you want to be, not what people want to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-who-you-want-to-be-not-what-people-want-to-see/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm might not be the best , I might not be strongest or the fastest or the smart ,but I'm sure as hades ain't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mrawesome/i-m-might-not-be-the-best-i-might-not-be-strongest-or-the-fastest-or/) [MrAwesome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mrawesome/) > [I'm not a person to judge but I really don't care for people that follow I love the ones that want to lead unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-brown/i-m-not-a-person-to-judge-but-i-really-don-t-care-for-people-that/) [Jordan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-brown/) [Browse all 2,115 Be yourself quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-yourself/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think the worst thing a player can do is just not be yourself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nick Saban" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-think-the-worst-thing-a-player-can-do-is-just-not-be-yourself/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Be yourself" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-think-the-worst-thing-a-player-can-do-is-just-not-be-yourself/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f95/nick-saban-2879_be-yourself_i-think-the-worst-thing-a-player-can-do_1952183.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f95/nick-saban-2879_be-yourself_i-think-the-worst-thing-a-player-can-do_1952183.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f95/nick-saban-2879_be-yourself_i-think-the-worst-thing-a-player-can-do_1952183.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think the worst thing a player can do is just not be yourself.” — Nick Saban", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nick Saban", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think the worst thing a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-think-the-worst-thing-a-player-can-do-is-just-not-be-yourself/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-think-the-worst-thing-a-player-can-do-is-just-not-be-yourself/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```