Quit alcohol, look as young as this legendary football coach at 72

Football has a reputation as a barometer of masculinity.

Just look at these beefy offensive linemen going short-sleeved in playoff games when it’s -30 C outside just to show how tough they are.

Not my world.

I’d be huddled by the heaters on the sidelines.

I start wearing longjohns in early November and don’t take them off until late March (welcome to life in Canada).

So I’m always fascinated when someone from a manly man culture like football quits drinking alcohol and talks about it openly.

That’s because, for way too long, NOT drinking was seen as a sign of weakness instead of strength.

If you didn’t drink — and didn’t drink HARD — you were seen as “less of a man”.

The sober shaming of men is alive and well, though I have noticed it tapering off a bit lately.

And when I see role models like the one we’re about to discuss who also don’t drink, that can only help the movement.

Real leadership

So let’s talk for a sec about 72-year-old Alabama football coach Nick Saban.

Saban — one of the most decorated and respected coaches in NCAA football history — gave an interview recently in which he discussed his decision to quit alcohol and the big life change that prompted it.

Here’s what Saban told ESPN host Pat McAfee, as quoted AL.com:

“No drinks. I used to drink. When we had kids and my kids were growing up, I decided I didn’t want to set that kind of example for them.

“So I just quit drinking, and it’s probably the best thing I ever did. Never had a hangover. I just don’t do it.”

At which point McAfee, a tough guy in his own right as a former pro wrestler and football player who is just 36, responded that he too had cut way back because it takes him “like four days” to get over a drinking binge.

Saban, who personifies college football excellence, then elaborated.

Interestingly enough, his constant pursuit of sporting excellence had little bearing on his decision to quit. It was more personal than that:

“You have more fun and you enjoy (life) more (when you don’t drink).

“You build your relationships more. It’s been a good thing for me, one of the best things I decided to do.”

There are other payoffs too.

Fountain of youth

One thing you notice about people who quit drinking is that the aging process is way kinder to them.

I touched on this in my post about how Ringo Starr is still energetically rocking crowds at 83 and could pass for a man 20 years younger.

Saban, too, looks much healthier at 72 than a lot of heavy drinkers I know who are significantly younger.

Do a Google image search of him or check out this press conference he gave last week and you’ll see what I mean.

The poison is just so damaging to your internal systems and your external appearance that it’s hard — dare I say impossible — to look spry and youthful as a heavy drinker.

I still cringe when I look at a picture I took of myself the morning I decided to quit.

• My face is all puffy and swollen
• My skin is dry and grey
• My eyes have dark bags under them.

One day I might share that pic. But not yet.

Fast forward a couple of months and I looked like a different person.

Thin, fit, bright-eyed, nice tan.

Quitting alcohol is tough as hell, but the great news is you start to actually SEE the benefits fairly quickly.

The power of role models

I’d be remiss if I didn’t touch on the fact that Saban quit alcohol because he wanted to be a good role model for his kids.

This was a factor in my decision to quit, too, though I waited much longer than he did to finally kick the booze.

When my boys were younger, they had no idea I was drinking heavily every night.

Of course they didn’t — they were little kids!

But I always knew that, in order to respect myself as their father and their main role model, I’d need to kick the booze before they became conscious of my addiction.

I knew how bad booze was for me mentally and physically, and I knew they would eventually model my behavior — good or bad.

Boys want to be like their dad, for better or worse.

I couldn’t stand the idea of them possibly watching me get at least a little drunk every single night and think that was normal and/or healthy.

The last thing I wanted was for them to follow me into the quicksand.

They were 9 and 12 when I finally quit.

I feel like I made it just under the wire.

No downside

So, in summary, there are a helluva lot of good reasons to quit alcohol.

Perhaps they’re health-related — you don’t want to die young.

Perhaps they’re a little more shallow but still very much understandable — you don’t want to look older than you have to.

Perhaps they’re to make life better for someone else — a spouse, kids, etc.

But whatever the reason, I can’t speak highly enough of the benefits of ditching booze.

Clearly, it’s working for Nick Saban, too.

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