WATCH: Kayvon Thibodeaux explains why Oregon set him up better than Alabama

On3 imageby:Steve Samra01/12/22

SamraSource

Kayvon Thibodeaux is preparing to be a top-five selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. Throughout his time with Oregon, he proved why he was one of the best defensive players in the nation. However, Thibodeaux revealed he believes the Ducks didn’t just propel his football career — but Oregon set him up better than a program like Alabama would’ve.

During the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship, Thibodeaux praised Oregon while taking shots at Alabama. Inadvertent or not.

“If I give you a fishing pole, would you know how to use it?” started Thibodeaux. “If I’ve never learned, or if school has never been important to me, or a job or a career has never been important until I was done playing football, how would I know how to go get a career or job? I won’t.

“I thought about and I said, what world do I want to be a part of? Literally. I sat back and said if I go to Alabama, I’m going to win national championships. Literally. But do I want to be a guy whose known to be a national championship winner, or do I want to be a guy whose known for being a part of the greatest organization in the world? You know what I mean? What people don’t realize is that football is an American sport. So no matter how great Alabama is, people are going to play football in America, Canada, a couple other places. But a brand like Nike?”

Thibodeaux on Alabama: ‘It’s not the West Coast. It ain’t Harvard.’

Continuing, Thibodeaux believes the education he received at Oregon compared to the one he would’ve received at Alabama is vastly different.

“For me it was like, what brand associations do I want to be tied to?” stated Thibodeaux. “For me, I already hate the stigma of football players being dumb jocks. So now, do you know the stigma of Alabama education? It’s not the West Coast. It ain’t Harvard. So for me, I had to look at it and say I was only going to be in college for three years. Like I said, if I would’ve went to Alabama — one, I would probably still be there. Two, I probably wouldn’t have graduated yet. And three, I don’t know if my degree would mean anything.

“I think Oregon may be the only place where you are guaranteed – I wouldn’t say it’s a guarantee – but there is a ninety-percent chance that if you want to, a Nike opportunity is there. And there’s a guarantee that if you play football at Oregon, you can work in the corporate Nike world. That’s a guarantee. Phil Knight — I can call him and he’ll tell you that today.”

Kayvon Thibodeaux may be the best player in the 2022 NFL Draft. Still, the former Oregon star won’t have many fans in Tuscaloosa after his comments.