According to an NCAA survey, the rates of mental exhaustion, anxiety, and depression in student-athletes are nearly two times higher than before the pandemic. Football players attend The University of Alabama with two expectations: Winning a national championship and playing in the NFL. Talk about pressure. Alabama head coach Nick Saban, one of the greatest coaches of all time who has produced more NFL first-round draft picks than any other college coach, understands expectations better than anyone. And he knows the effect pressure can have on players. Saban sat down with NBC’s Stephanie Gosk for a TODAY exclusive conversation on how he’s helping athletes play their best while taking care of their mental health. "We want them to focus on that on a day-to-day basis, and try to build on positive performance, and not focus so much on the bad things that happen. Because we're all gonna have bad things that happen," Saban said. "But our ability to overcome those negatives is going to go a long way in helpin' us be successful."Watch the full TODAY story below. If you don't see the video, click here.—