Joey Bosa has 13 ½ sacks for Ohio State this season and is a big reason why the Buckeyes are playing Alabama in the College Football Playoff. And he almost went to Alabama.
Joey Bosa is the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and he became Ohio State’s 27th unanimous All-American this season.
And he’s at Ohio State in part because of an encounter at a camp run by Alabama coach Nick Saban in the summer of 2010.
Bosa told Cleveland.com that when he was 15, before he was a five-star prospect being recruited by the top programs in America, he got called into Saban’s office at the camp.
"“They’re pretty serious, intimidating guys, especially when you’re 15 years old sitting in Saban’s office,” Rosa said. “Then he pushes this button that automatically closes the door.”"
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For a scared 15-year-old who’s not even wearing a shirt, it was like being locked in with the scariest super villain ever.
Saban wanted to offer the kid a scholarship to Alabama.
He left the camp with his father, former NFL player Josh Bosa, and almost committed on the spot.
"“I almost went back and committed that day,” Bosa said. “But we flew home, thought about it and now I’m here.”"
But maybe that door was the problem. Because a guy pushing a button and closing a door to trap me in his office would scare me pretty good, even if I wasn’t a 15-year-old kid.
Ohio State will play Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1—one of the two inaugural semifinal games in the College Football Playoff.
And Bosa may have a chance to close a much more important door on Saban … even if he’ll have to do much more than just push a button.
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