LSU players still got love for St. Nick?

LSU still has 20 players on the squad that were recruited by Nick Saban.
They play for Les Miles, but they are "Saban guys" still.
With the most anticipated showdown of the season looming this Saturday, LSU's players STILL had good things to say about Satan. And even some employees, below are some quotes for the week:

Ya'el Lofton, coordinator of football operations and secretary to LSU coaches going back to Archer, still keeps in touch with Saban and other former LSU coaches.

"He was very good to work for," she said before the season. "So is coach Miles. Both of them are very good at not letting a loss get to them here in the office. I enjoyed working for Nick and I enjoy working for Les. I think the fans get carried away sometimes."

LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson has heard the fans.

"I can understand why they don't like him," said Jackson, who signed with Saban in 2004. "I mean, he's at Alabama now. But we as players don't hold any grudges. When the fans are talking about him, I don't defend him. I just sit back and listen. It's funny. But I don't have anything bad to say about coach Saban. He's a great coach, but coach Miles is a great coach, too."

Cornerback Chevis Jackson met with Saban every day in the 2004 season when he was a freshman.

"He practically was the secondary coach, and he taught me a lot when he was here and I'm thankful for it," Jackson said. "I really don't get into all that. I don't know why they hate him. They probably liked him when he was here. He left. He made that decision. He's at Alabama now, and you know we've got a game to play."

LSU senior associate athletic director Verge Ausberry, a former LSU linebacker from New Iberia, doesn't understand the fans' hateful mentality.

"I don't care what those people say," Ausberry said. "Nick was our coach and he put LSU back in the national spotlight. And Les has picked it up from there and made it continue on. I have a lot of respect for Nick and what he did for our program. We were losing for about 10 years before he came here."

Ausberry played at LSU from 1986-89 under coach Bill Arnsparger and Mike Archer and was part of SEC championship teams in 1986 and 1988.

"We hadn't won an SEC championship since I played before Nick got here," Ausberry said. "I don't understand the fans. Steve Spurrier (former national champion Florida coach) did about the same thing as Nick. He left Florida went to the NFL and came back to South Carolina. Florida doesn't hate him and he went to that school and won the Heisman there. He left, but he's in their ring of honor there."