Alabama receiver who struck female Tennessee fan last week gets start, Nick Saban criticized for move

Alabama receiver Jermaine Burton started for the Crimson Tide on Saturday night just one week after a video caught him allegedly striking a female Tennessee fan.

Head coach Nick Saban said that he was made aware of the incident, and was going to handle it internally.

“It’s a difficult situation for the league, it’s a difficult situation for all of us that are in this situation,” Saban said on Wednesday. “We certainly don’t condone any mistreatment of anybody, whether they should or shouldn’t be there. I think you’ve gotta have respect for other people.”

“But as I said today, when I was asked about it,” he added, “The league has tried to control people from rushing the field. It’s a difficult circumstance for the league, difficult circumstances for the people on the field. But we have to go through those difficult circumstances and still respect other people. I think that’s on us to do that and it’s a lesson for all of us to learn relative to this.”

When the Vols upset the Crimson Tide on a field goal as time expired, fans flooded the field. A female fan rushing the field was then struck by the receiver.

ALABAMA WIDE RECEIVER JERMAINE BURTON ALLEGEDLY HIT FEMALE TENNESSEE FAN AFTER LOSS

The decision to start Burton had some dumbfounded.

It is unclear what Burton’s discipline was, or if there was one at all.

Through three quarters, Bama led 24-0, while Burton had two catches for 40 yards.

Burton transferred to Alabama from the University of Georgia just a couple of weeks after they beat Bama in the National Championship in January.