In a rivalry as heated as the Iron Bowl, how can one fan base, namely Alabama fans, respect a former Auburn football player for his college football takes?
In the latest Beat Everyone podcast, Cole Cubelic, the former Auburn player now with the SEC Network, was asked that very question.
“I have no idea,” Cubelic said with a laugh.
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Listening to Cubelic, it is easy to see why people respect the analyst, regardless of their college football fandom. During the podcast, he talks about the Iron Bowl and the respect between players. He concludes there are two things he has learned over the years that has helped that respect permeate to the rival fan base.
“I’ve always tried to relate what I see,” Cubelic explained. “I always felt like if I did that , I’d always have something to go back and lean on. Essentially, I could never be proven guilty in a court of law because I always have that usual evidence to go back and reference.
”It’s for that reason, he said, he can give an honest assessment of a player’s performance, no matter the jersey color. He admits there will always those that have an opinion simply because of where he played football.
The other key, he said, is just to admit when you are wrong.
Cubelic, who cohosts “McElroy and Cubelic in the Mornings” on WJOX in Birmingham, told a great story about seeing Rolando McClain. He was on a radio show and a caller asked him about the future Alabama player.
“I had seen him play a high school playoff game,” he shared. “His team lost that game, and I don’t like he gave great effort in the second half. I shared that. I said, ‘I don’t know what he is going to turn into because I saw this on the field.”
Two years later, he was a guest on the same radio show. The same caller reminded Cubelic of his comments.
“The only thing I could think of at that time was just admit how wrong I was,” he said. “I did that. I taught myself a lesson: ‘Never be afraid you were wrong. It’s OK. I was. I missed by a mile.
“He ended of being one of the greatest defensive players in Alabama football history.”
Check out the full podcast above.
Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.
