Kadyn Proctor explains why he switched his commitment from Iowa to Alabama
At 7 a.m. Wednesday, two and a half hours before a signing ceremony at Southeast Polk High School, Kaden Proctor, his mom and stepfather reunite at their Altoona home quietly but solemnly taking the next step in his football career.
Alabama’s LOI papers arrived in the mail on Tuesday. Proctor signed it, took a few photos and fired some texts to members of the coaching staff letting them know his commitment was a done deal.
Then, I’m not going to lie, I went back to bed, said Proctor, smiling.
Proctor could finally breathe a sigh of relief. A high school football star, one of the most sought after players in the country, is now part of the Crimson Tide. The signing, snaps and symbolic celebration later in the morning in front of friends, family and colleagues at Southeast Polk Hall ended an eventful recruitment of star offensive tackle.
“It’s been kind of stressful,” his mother, Sarah Proctor Perkins, said of the past few days.
It’s been a wild ride for the 6-foot-7, 330-pound offensive lineman, who has long been heralded as one of the best players in the state and nation. He has drawn scholarship offers from seemingly all the big names, including Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Alabama, Oregon, and Ole Miss.
Proctor, listed by 247Sports as a five-star recruit and the best offensive tackle in the country, committed to Iowa again in June. He was seen as a first-day rookie and the biggest name in the Hawkeyes recruiting class of 2023.
That didn’t stop the teams from trying to change Procter’s mind. NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who recently took the Colorado job, offered him a scholarship. Oregon State was on hand to watch Proctor guide Southeast Polk to its second straight football title in November. Alabama coach Nick Saban visited him one of the first days he saw the recruits.
Proctor visited Alabama this past weekend and finally leaned around his commitment and joined the Crimson Tide.
“When I went down there and saw all that was set up for me, I thought it was a better opportunity for me,” Proctor said.
Here’s a look at some of the other major storylines surrounding Proctor’s change of heart.
Did NIL play a role in Procter’s decision to flip his commitment? says no
Proctor’s commitment to Alabama came amid speculation of a lucrative NIL (name and image) deal the school had put together to lure him. Wed said that’s not what convinced him to change his commitment to Alabama. He said it was about the resources Alabama had and the opportunities playing for the Crimson Tide presented.
“It’s not about the money because if people knew about the financial situation, they wouldn’t talk about it,” Proctor said. “But I wanted to play football at a prestigious school. (There is) a lot of competition there and in the end it will make me better.”
Procter acknowledged that there was money, but did not say how much Alabama was willing to pay nil money to secure his services. Procter’s mother was adamant that things like dorms, team doctors and facilities played a bigger role in his decision to change his commitment. She said her son was also touched by the opportunity to play with athletes of his size out of the gate and help him get into the NFL.
Proctor said Iowa was willing to pony.
He said, “I don’t get paid (more) that much because Iowa will give it to me.” “People didn’t know that. But everyone has opinions.”
Proctor says he could have “settled” by staying in Iowa
Proctor said he informed Iowa’s coaching staff of his decision to decommit last week and hinted he’s been giving it some thought. He admitted that Iowa’s offensive struggles the past two years were part of his thought process but did not play a major role. In fact, he liked the idea of coming in and helping change the program. But he thought playing for Alabama could make more of his potential.
“I thought I was settled in Iowa, and when I got down there (Alabama), I saw all the guys who are as big as me and have the same mindset as me and work like me,” he said. I wanted to. I don’t want to go to this school and everyone thinks I’m really one of the best players out there. I want to grow. This is not how I grow. I must be smacked in the mouth before I grow up. And I think the blow in the mouth is the competition (that I need).”
During a weekend visit to Alabama, Procter met up with Saban, hung out with some players and watched the Crimson Tide practice for their Sugar Bowl matchup with Kansas State. When he got back to his hotel room on Saturday night, he told his mom he wanted to play for Alabama.
“It was all about going to Iowa and I just thought, ‘Are you sure? Are you sure?’” It kind of hit me.
The fallout from Procter’s CDS caused a social uproar and backlash
Proctor committed Saban on Sunday. Word began to emerge early in the week that Proctor was likely to switch to Alabama. The fallout brought a lot of criticism as people took to social media to block the decision. Procter’s announcement on Twitter on Tuesday was met with a barrage of negativity from people who questioned his loyalty and motives.
“It made me feel a little bit bad but I can’t adjust these things,” he said. “It’s amazing when 40-year-olds and 50-year-olds call me the p word and say ‘F-you,’ I’m going to hell and stuff like that. They talk about it and they were happy that I was going to go to Alabama and represent the state.”
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