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KAYVON THIBODEAUX SAT in Mario Cristobal’s office on a recruiting visit, searching for answers.
As the No. 1 prospect in the country, he was trying to wade through the thousands of text messages and recruiting pitches from coaches hoping to persuade him to attend their schools.
But Thibodeaux was tired of coaches telling him how they could win a championship together, or how they could help him reach the NFL. He told Cristobal he wanted to go in a different direction. What can Oregon do for Thibodeaux off the field? How can he make a difference in the community? How supportive would Cristobal be in Thibodeaux exploring his interests outside of football?
“I remember looking at him thinking, he’s got to wake up to 450,000 text messages with the same redundant recruiting blah,” Cristobal said. “And I sat there with him and had a really good conversation about the plan for him and how he wanted to prove his best to Oregon. It was about betterment, it was about working at the craft, and I thought that was huge.”
Cristobal answered his questions openly and honestly, saying the star recruit would have every opportunity to explore his dreams as long as he gave everything he had on the field.
Some college coaches questioned Thibodeaux’s love of football because of how much he spoke about his other interests and ambitions. He loves football, but he knows he has an opportunity to be a positive example for the youth in his neighborhood. He wants to have the financial stability to start a charter school for young kids, design his own shoe and be a role model for children who come from a similar background as he did in Los Angeles.
Thibodeaux led the Pac-12 in quarterback pressures (34) and quarterback hurries (27) a year ago. Though he has battled an ankle sprain as a junior this year for ninth-ranked Oregon, which hosts Cal on Friday (10:30 ET, ESPN/ESPN App), he has solidified himself as one of the top projected picks in next year’s NFL draft.
But Thibodeaux doesn’t define…
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Source : espn
