Nick Saban wanted Jawon Pass at Alabama. The QB chose Louisville instead

Jake Lourim | Courier Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Louisville's Jawon Pass on Alabama, his nickname Taking over from Lamar Jackson, QB Jawon Pass ready to lead Louisville in 2018 season

It has been more than three years since Jawon "Puma" Pass sat at a table with three hats and chose the one with the Louisville Cardinal logo on it. Saturday, he'll meet again with one of the coaches he turned down — Nick Saban.

In the end, it came down to Louisville, Alabama and Auburn, and those around Pass say he went about the recruiting process with unusual independence. He did not tell his mother, Kershena Thomas, his decision until a few minutes before he announced it.

“It never seemed to overwhelm (him),” said Joe Kegler, Pass’ former coach at Carver (Georgia) High School. “To me, it was business as usual.”

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Pass’ older brother, Khane, plays safety at Louisville. Thomas told her boys she had a rule: They had to play in college within a seven-hour drive of home in Columbus, Georgia. Cardinal Stadium is almost eight hours from their home.

But when Thomas visited Louisville with Khane, she appreciated the connection the coaches made with her shy son. She said she thought it fit his personality and was willing to allow the extra hour.

Then, when Thomas visited with Puma, she saw a relationship develop between him and former offensive coordinator Garrick McGee.

“(McGee) was just going over some stuff on the board, and he was drawing up plays, and said, ‘What is this?’” Thomas said. “And Jawon was just, 'cover one,' 'cover two,' just calling it out. I said, ‘OK, he really wants to learn right here,’ and he had never done that at another school.”

Puma followed Louisville coach Bobby Petrino closely, and his brother was on his way to play for the Cardinals. But that didn’t make the decision simple. Puma was a consensus four-star quarterback, the No. 5 dual-threat prospect in the country according to 247Sports.com’s composite rankings. He had plenty of suitors.

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He visited Alabama and met with Saban a couple of days before he announced a decision, perhaps hinting that he would end up choosing the Crimson Tide.

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The following December, Saban was the guest speaker at the local prep football luncheon, a high-profile awards show in which Pass was honored. DJ Jones, a Carver High School alum and former NFL offensive lineman, ran the show, which also brought in Georgia coach Kirby Smart as a speaker in 2016 and Clemson coach Dabo Swinney last year.

But Pass remained focused on Louisville and Petrino’s mentorship, and Thomas recalled him having a direct conversation with Saban in his office during recruiting.

“He said, ‘I don’t like to play games and string people along. I love it here. I love you. You’re awesome, but …’” Thomas said. “And then he started giving him examples of quarterbacks that haven’t been as well-prepared from Alabama.”

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Thomas, with a smile, recalled being antsy in the office of one of the most successful coaches in the history of college football. “That’s enough,” she thought.

“But he said, ‘Your quarterbacks, they’re not as well-prepared as maybe your linebackers. So I just feel like I can learn more for my position,’” Thomas said.

“Coach Saban told him, ‘That’s one of the reasons why I really wanted you here, because of your level thinking, and you’re going to be great. I wish you well, and I really wish you had chosen here,’ but he said he’s never had a kid do it like that.”

A month before Pass’ decision, Alabama earned a commitment from a quarterback in the same class, Jalen Hurts. It worked out OK for the Tide, as Hurts led Alabama to the past two national championship games.

With Alabama out of the conversation, Thomas said she thought Pass might choose Clemson or Auburn, because Auburn is about 35 miles from Columbus and Pass liked then-Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee.

“I just didn’t think he was going to go to Louisville because I said, he’s going to be caught up in being his own person,” Thomas said.

But she had to wait like everyone else did. A few minutes before the announcement ceremony, Pass pulled his mother to the side and said, “Well, I prayed last night, and I’ve made my decision,” and he told her it was Louisville.

“He trusted God with it, and he said that was the best place for him,” Thomas said.

Pass’ father Maurice recalled Puma calling Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn prior to the announcement and informing him of his decision. Maurice Pass remembers Malzahn saying he had never seen such courtesy and appreciated being able to sleep at night without the uncertainty.

After committing to Louisville, Pass accepted visits from other coaches but didn’t seem to waver in his decision. National Signing Day in February was during basketball season, and in the final recruiting push leading up to it, Carver basketball coach Warren Beaulah remembers “one of the coaches came in from a big-time SEC school." He smiled and declined to say which one.

“Coach, I don’t want to disturb your practice, but can you ...” the coach told Beaulah.

“I looked at (Pass), and he said, ‘Coach, I can handle myself,’” Beaulah said. “He was just that type of person.”

Pass graduated from Carver with honors, but when graduation came around, he left his honors tassel at home. He told his mother he forgot it.

“Jawon, that is a huge accomplishment,” Thomas told him.

“Well, don’t you know what my grades were?” he said.

“Yeah,” she replied.

“And I know,” he said. “So we’re fine.”

The humility followed him to Louisville, where he’s nearing his first start against the school that finished runner-up in his recruitment. News of this opening matchup came out in July 2015, around the time Pass chose Louisville. He said he has been looking forward to it.

“I’m sure he’s very excited about this challenge,” said Louisville defensive line coach L.D. Scott, one of Pass’ primary recruiters. “He knows exactly what their program is built on. I’m excited for him. He’s waited his turn, and I think he’s ready.”

Jake Lourim: 502-582-4168; jlourim@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @jakelourim. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/jakel.