When NFL commissioner Roger Goodell calls Thibodeaux’s name in late April, he will follow it with, “defensive end, Oregon.” Thibodeaux ultimately chose the Ducks despite having no shortage of options or offers. That includes Alabama and Nick Saban.
MORE: Ranking college football’s best September games of 2022: Notre Dame-Ohio State tops list
Thibodeaux — speaking with Fox College Football’s Joel Klatt during the College Football Playoff championship game on Monday — revealed the deciding factor that led him to attend school at Oregon: the “stigmatism” of an Alabama education.
“Do you know the stigmatism of Alabama education?” he asked Klatt. “It ain’t the West Coast.”
Thibodeaux, of course, meant to say “stigma” instead of “stigmatism.” The latter is an incorrect portmanteau of “stigma” and “astigmatism” (a common imperfection in the curvature of the eye).
His comments — used incorrectly as they were — were prompted by Klatt asking what it was like to be recruited by Saban. Thibodeaux said he didn’t like Saban’s recruiting pitch that players want to play when they think they’re ready, as opposed to when Saban thinks they’re ready. That moment, Thibodeaux said, led him to think Alabama wasn’t for him.
Klatt then asked Thibodeaux whether he knew each of Saban’s recruiting classes had won a national championship during their time in Tuscaloosa. Responded Thibodeaux: “And that’s important. Hopefully they’ve all still got jobs and stuff after.”
MORE: College football rankings for 2022: Alabama, OSU, Georgia lead way-too-early Top 25
Thibodeaux continued to explain his decision to attend Oregon, saying he wanted to ensure he could have a career outside of football once his playing days are over. To that end, aligning himself with a brand such as Nike was also important to his future non-football endeavors:
MORE: College football updated polls: AP Top 25, Coaches Poll rankings after CFP championship
Thibodeaux is credited with 123 tackles, 35.5 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, seven passes defensed and three forced fumbles in three years at Oregon.
Below are his comments, in full:
