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Alabama coach Nick Saban led his team on a march against racial injustice on Monday that stopped at a historically significant place on the university's campus. The Crimson Tide paused in the spot where former Alabama governor George Wallace stood in defiance of integration in 1963.

There, Saban praised his players for their "peaceful and intelligent" effort to organize the march, which followed demonstrations against injustice made by teams and leagues around the nation in the wake of Jacob Blake's shooting by police in Wisconsin.

"Sports has always created a platform for social change," Saban said. "For each of us involved in sports, I think we have a responsibility and obligation to do that in a responsible way and use our platform in a positive way to try to create social change in positive ways. Through this process, I've learned a lot from our players. I don't get to see the world through the same lens that a lot of players do, that they live the world in."

The Crimson Tide walked together with Saban in front. Players wore shirts with messages such as "Equality" and "Defend Black Lives." Saban wore a black mask dotted by school logos and emphasized that although he walked in the front of the march, the credit for the idea belonged to his players. He referred to himself as a "proud parent," adding he was also "very proud of the message."

"The players have made these choices and decisions about what they want to do, how they want to be heard," Saban said. "We want to support them because we do support what they want to do."