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HARTSELLE — So, how dedicated are you to Alabama football?
If you answer that you have season tickets and that you go to every game, that's not good enough for Tim and Hannah Witt.
They do that, too.
But, if you say that you are naming your children after something associated with Crimson Tide football, then you're at the level the couple says separates "regular fans" from "die-hard fans."
As early as mid-January, the Witts knew their second child was a boy, and they knew his name would be Saban.
That's right, Saban Hardin Witt, who was born Tuesday at about 5 p.m. in Decatur General Hospital, is named after Alabama head football coach Nick Saban. He was two weeks early and weighed 7 pounds and 10 ounces.
So, what if Saban doesn't succeed as Alabama's football coach?
"We'll tell our son he was named after one of the highest paid coaches in college football," the father said.
What if Saban Witt turns into an Auburn fan?
"We'll put him up for adoption," his father, joked. "I'm not worried about that. He was bleeding Crimson before he was born, and I'm going to make sure he continues to bleed Crimson."
Older brother is Tyde
The Witts of Hartselle named their first child, who is 23 months old, Tyde Timothy Witt. He's already attended several Alabama football games.
The family will introduce Saban Witt to tailgating and to the Tide nation when Alabama plays Florida State on Sept. 29 at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.
"My parents are going to the game to baby-sit," his father said.
Hannah Witt, a third-grade teacher at Crestline Elementary in Hartselle, was almost six months pregnant before the Witts decided on a name. Initially, they talked about honoring legendary Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant.
"We were going to spell it differently," she said, of the name Bear.
But, the father said one of his good friends, who is a coach in Limestone County, has the nickname "Bear" so they opted against that.
Tim Witt, who watched the Alabama coaching search as closely as anyone, said he thought about naming the baby Saban Jan. 4 after Athletic Director Mal Moore introduced Nick Saban as the Tide's head football coach.
Warming to name
"Hannah was at school, and I called and left her a message," he recalled. "She wasn't excited about the name initially, but after about a week, she started to like it."
The mother said she knew they were going with a name with an Alabama theme, but Saban didn't seem right initially.
"I thought he was crazy in the beginning," she said. "I told some people. They said it was unique, and it grew on me."
The father said friends told him he was crazy.
The Witts said both sets of grandparents — Wayne and Inez Witt of Hatton and Joe and Paula Hardin of Falkville — approved the name.
Hartselle Mayor Dwight Tankersley goes to church with the Witts at Fairview Church of God and tailgates with them at Alabama home games.
Although Saban hasn't coached a game at Alabama, Tankersley isn't surprised that the couple selected that name.
"Just about everybody in church knows they are Alabama football fanatics," Tankersley said.
"Their first child is Tyde. I don't think anybody in church is surprised."

*** From the Decatur Daily News

So what happens if Nick Saban leaves Alabama, or what if he loses every game? You know what, I'm gonna name my first son Jesus. That way I know he'll always be right and he'll probably be able to turn water into wine, heal the blind, and never die.

I seriously feel sorry for this child. They say you can't pick your parents. Well now we know of one person who will be truly angry at the situation he was born into. This will probably lead to spousal abuse, the owning of a rusted out Trans-Am, teenage pregnancy, and tooth loss. Not in that order.

Have a good week.