EUGENE — First things first: Mario Cristobal had seen and driven in snow before getting behind the wheel with Nick Saban in the middle of a winter storm.
Cristobal, a native of Miami, had his first encounter with snow on his first day as an assistant coach at Rutgers in 2001.
But on Jan. 20, 2014, the then-offensive line coach at Alabama was driving Saban when the two visited then-four-star prospect and now Crimson Tide All-American offensive guard Ross Pierschbacher in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Saban, a native of West Virginia, said he had “never been more scared in all my life” than sitting in the car while Cristobal drove in the two inches of snow.
“I go up there with Mario Cristobal, who’s from Cuba, and has never been in snow before. (He’d) never been in the snow before,” Saban said after this year Iron Bowl. “So we get a rental car and it’s snowing like hell now man. It ain’t snowing a little bit; it’s snowing a lot and it’s blowing sideways.
“And I’m saying, ‘Mario, let me drive.’ But he thought he had to do his duty, man, and I tell you what I’ve never been more scared in all my life. Once we got to the home visit, the food was good, the family was great, and obviously we got a great player and a great person that has been a great ambassador for the University of Alabama and a great representative for our program”
Cristobal had a laugh while defending his driving abilities and recalling the recruiting story.
“I was an unbelievable driver. I feel a little bit underappreciated that I got behind the wheel in that snow,” Cristobal said. “The snow was coming sideways. It was a great visit. I’m actually – I’m from the United States, my parents are from Cuba, coach Saban. But it was a real memorable time. Those early years over there working with the University of Alabama, those car rides and those flights is when you really get to know each other as coaches and whatnot.
“Ended up, great meal, I just remember (Saban) was really, really nervous because there was a potential issue with the plane not being able to get back to Tuscaloosa because it was coming down sideways. So he was in that house kind of you know, I’m going ‘let’s get his guy before we leave.’ Ross Pierschbacher and his family, awesome family, awesome young man. I saw he made All-American the other day, certainly worth the time and effort.”
