Two phone calls by Nick Saban made suicide prevention a priority in the Alabama legislature

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Teen suicide rates are on the rise nationally and no one is exactly sure why, but the lack of attention the issue has received has left some activists wondering what it would take for Alabama leaders to address the disturbing trend. This week they got their answer: Two phone calls by Nick Saban.

In 1997, a 16-year-old boy named Jason Flatt tragically committed suicide. His father, Clark Flatt, went on to create
The Jason Foundation, a Tennessee-based non-profit designed to raise awareness about youth suicide. In recent years, Mr. Flatt has shepherded a suicide prevention bill known as the Jason Flatt Act through 17 state legislatures. Alabama is not one of those states — at least not yet.

Through Mr. Flatt’s advocacy work, he befriended Saban while the coach was still at LSU.

“He’s been fantastic to work with throughout the years,” Flatt told the Associated Press. “He’s has done everything he could do for us.”

Mr. Flatt and Coach Saban meet a couple of times a year to discuss the foundation’s work, including the progress of the Jason Flatt Act. Last May, Mr. Flatt told Saban the bill had passed in Texas.

“He asked me why we had not brought the Jason Flatt Act to Alabama,” Flatt said. “I did not have a good answer except we did not have a crusader, we needed those contacts, and he told me as we were breaking up our meeting that he was going to work on that.”

Before Mr. Flatt had made it from Tuscaloosa to Birmingham, he received phone calls from Sen. Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa), who said he would sponsor his bill in the Alabama Senate, and Gov. Robert Bentley, who pledged his support. Both elected officials had received calls from Saban and immediately took action.

And when Alabama Senate Republicans released their 2016 legislative agenda in February of this year, the following paragraph was included:

Expand Suicide Awareness Prevention Education Training

Suicide affects youths of every ethnic, economic, and social background. Equipping K-12 teachers with the tools and training to speak with students about suicide prevention will reduce the stigma associated with suicide and the illnesses and emotions that lead to it.

Saban said in a press conference Tuesday that some of his past experiences with young players compelled him to get involved in suicide prevention.

“We’ve been very, very fortunate through the years to have very few players suffer issue and problems when we were coaching them,” he said. “But we have had some. And it’s one of the most devastating things that you have to go through, even as a coach. I never experienced it as a parent.

“I’m here to help the young people,” he continued. This is not a political thing for me, alright? This is all about how can we help our youth have a better opportunity with our help and assistance, that we can see warning signs of something that is very, very preventable.”

The Jason Flatt Act earned unanimous approval in the Senate Health Committee on Tuesday and is expected to fly through the full Senate and House in the coming days. Once signed into law by Governor Bentley, K-12 school personnel will be required to go through an annual suicide prevention awareness course, which will teach them how to engage students on the issue.

“It’s so important. It will save young lives,” Mr. Flatt told al.com. “There’s no ‘It might’ or ‘It might be helpful.’ By implementing this, there will be young people alive that would not be alive if this thing wasn’t there to provide teachers warning signs.”