Lane Kiffin credits this little-known former Alabama QB for saving his career

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin has often credited former head coach Nick Saban for saving his career.

When Kiffin was fired from USC, it was Saban who hired him as his offensive coordinator, and from there, Kiffin became a hot name again in college coaching, landing eventually in Oxford, Mississippi.

But there is also another person Kiffin says also helped save him, and that’s former Crimson Tide QB Blake Sims.

Kiffin said Tuesday at SEC Media Days that it was Sims who made him rethink the quarterback position.

“I just want to thank you,” Kiffin told Sims, via ESPN’s Chris Low. “You probably don’t know how much you helped my career.“

Sims was the starting QB for the Crimson Tide during the 2014 season, where he led the Tide to a 12-2 record, an SEC Championship, and the College Football Playoff.

He also threw that season for over 3400 yards, ran for 250 yards, and had a total of 35 touchdowns that season. 

Kiffin said before he coached Sims, he was fixated on the pro-style offense for his quarterbacks, but that changed.

His evolution as a coach and offensive guru helped him when it came to coaching the likes of former Rebels QB Jaxson Dart, who became the No. 1 draft pick of the New York Giants.

Last season, Dart passed for over 4200 yards and threw for 29 touchdowns while rushing for nearly 500 yards. But Dart may not have had the career he would have had at Ole Miss had it not been for Blake Sims.

Sims proved to Lane Kiffin that you can still have a proficient offense with a dual-threat QB.  Now, having a dual-threat QB is the norm in not only the NFL but college football these days, too.