Tyreek Hill reveals how Nick Saban repelled him from playing for Alabama - "He wanted me to play running back"
Tyreek Hill has revealed that were it not for Nick Saban, Alabama might have had his services. He recounted the story in an episode of the "It Needed To Be Said" podcast, where he had Michael Vick on as a guest.
The wide receiver said that even when they first went to Alabama, his mother had an instinct that it was not the right place for her son:
"So, [I] went to Alabama. I went to Nick Saban's house. And what's crazy is [we] went to his house. And then later that night, he came to meet me and my mom in our apartment room. And my mom was like, ‘No, I don't want you to go to school here’."
Tyreek Hill revealed that ended up being the correct decision because Nick Saban wanted him to play as a running back. He added,
"Because like we all know Nick Saban, recruiting all kinds of five stars and stuff. He wanted me to play running back at Alabama. And my mom was like, ‘Nah’. My mom and my dad was like, ‘Nah’. You are a receiver, like, I need you to get some space. And the things that he was telling us like it wasn't lining up."
Tyreek Hill reveals that Florida State was his first choice after turning down Nick Saban and Alabama
Tyreek Hill played his college football at Oklahoma State. But he also visited Florida State before that and, again, it was his mother who could not trust the system fully.
"Then I took another visit to Florida State with Jimbo Fisher. But when we went there, you know the recruiters there was like kind of whispering to each other and my mom like she looked around like, ‘Hey, like we over here’. My mom like it comes back full circle with the trust thing. So I didn't end up going there."
Were it not for his mother, he would have wanted to play at Florida State, given it was nearer to his home in Georgia.
"Took a visit [to] Oklahoma State. All the coaches was, like, loving. Like they was very open with my mom... And then they just made me feel comfortable. I ended up signing with Oklahoma State. Even though I wanted to go to Florida State, after my Florida State visit with Jimbo Fisher and the rest of the recruiters, my parents didn't feel safe, even though Florida State is like an hour away from where we live."
But as it stands, Tyreek Hill finally did get to play in Florida, as a wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins.