All-Pro NFL Running Back Tells Story of Almost Committing to Mizzou Over Alabama

If it weren't for one phone call the day Josh Jacobs committed to Alabama, he would've been a Missouri Tiger.

Before Jacobs was a NFL All-Pro with the Las Vegas Raiders, and now with the Green Bay Packers, he was a four-star prospect in the class of 2016, according to 247Sports. He told a story about his recruiting process in a recent interview with the "Bussin' With The Boys" podcast.

Jacobs was not too sought after early on in his high school career, playing at running back and defensive back at McClain High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He didn't have his eyes set on going to a big school and making it to the NFL.

"For me, the NFL was never a dream for me because it was never a reality," Jacobs said on the show. "I'd never seen anybody do it or even go far. I was like, if I go to school, that's all I'm trying to do."

His first offer came from New Mexico State, with Oklahoma and Missouri following shortly after. One of two of Jacobs' official visits was to Missouri.

Head coach Barry Odom was trying to secure the running back for his first recruiting class. The Tigers' starting quarterback took Jacobs on a tour of the facilities.

"Drew Lock showed me around," Jacobs said. "And I'm like 'I don't know this is different. This is different than anything I've ever seen.'"

But then, Jacobs was put on the radar of Alabama running backs coach Burton Burns. The long-time running backs coach was initially on a recruiting trip for a different player in Tulsa.

"'Some guy down the road mentioned your name,'" Jacob recalled Burton saying. "That's the reason I'm here. I'm only going to stay for like 5, 10 minutes.''

Burton watched Jacobs for a couple of minutes at basketball practice before leaving briefly and returning after practice. The two then talked for what Jacobs remembers to be around two hours.

Burton told Jacobs that Alabama was close to wrapping up its recruiting class, but there might be an opening.

"'I'm gonna be honest with you, we're really done with our recruiting,'" Jacobs recalled Burton saying. "'But one guy that we trying to recruit, we're still waiting to see if he can even make it because of his grades.'"

Jacobs then went on a visit to Alabama, being hosted by future star quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was only an early-enrolled freshman at the time. On that visit with the eventual Super Bowl MVP, Jacobs decided Alabama was "the spot to be."

But, Jacobs was still on the dark if there would even be a spot for him. When he woke up on his commitment day, he had plans in mind to be a Tiger.

"I was going to go to Mizzou," Jacobs said.

But shortly before Jacobs put pen to paper, an Alabama coach called to tell Jacobs the prospect struggling with academics failed to meet their thresholds. A spot was now open on the Crimson Tide.

"So the day that I went to sign, that's when I found out that I could even go to Alabama," Jacobs said.

Jacobs would go onto be a key part of the Crimson Tide offense for the next three seasons, being named the team's MVP in the 2018 SEC Championship win over Georgia. He was selected in the first-round of the NFL draft after his junior season, where he rushed for 640 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Oct 13, 2018; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Josh Jacobs (8) carries the ball up the field against the Missouri Tigers during the first quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images | John David Mercer-Imagn Images

In the 2016 signing class, Missouri instead signed four-star prospect Natereace Strong, and three-star Damera Crockett at running back. Though Crockett ended up rushing for 1,062 yards and 10 touchdowns in his freshman season, Jacobs is another one of the 'what if?' scenarios for the Tigers in the game of recruiting.

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