Agholor: If I Knew Chip Better, College Decision Would Have Been Tougher
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- Once upon a time Nelson Agholor was a five-star recruit and the third best receiver in his class. It was January 2012 and Agholor, just 18-years-old out of Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa, Florida, needed to pick a college.
The 6'0, 198-pound high-school running back, wide receiver, and defensive back was recruited by a plethora of schools, including the University of Oregon. Ultimately, Agholor turned down Oregon and then head coach Chip Kelly, choosing the University of Southern California.
Last Thursday night it all came full circle, as Kelly---now the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles---selected Agholor with the 20th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
"Well, actually my relationship with Chip when I was in high school isn't the same as it is right now because if I got to know Chip the way I know him in high school, it may have been a lot harder," Agholor told Angelo Cataldi and the 94WIP Morning Show on Monday, of his decision to go to USC over Oregon. "Sometimes college coaches, head coaches, aren't always allowed to be always on the scene in terms of recruiting players so they send their lead recruiters out. I never really knew Chip Kelly as a man. I feel like If I knew him the way I do now, man, I would have---I would have taken a little bit more time to make a decision.
Listen: Nelson Agholor on the 94WIP Morning Show
"I think he's just one of the most genuine people I've met in a long time," Agholor said of Kelly, his new coach. "He has a game plan, he sticks to a game plan. What you see is what you get. There is no sugar coating or like, many outfits. He doesn't do that, he just does him and I love that about some people. When people are just true to who they are in this world, I really like it."
Agholor, who turns 22 on May 24th, was named to the first-team all-Pac 12 team in 2014 catching 104 balls for over 1,300 yards. He can't wait to play in Kelly's high-flying offense.
"Honestly, it's a system of opportunity," Agholor said of the Eagles' offense. "To be honest with you, I'm blessed to have the chance to play in it because it gives guys many avenues to help a team. The different ways he gets guys the ball, you can fine tune your skill sets to be very helpful to the team. I look forward to helping in many different ways whether it's the deep threat game, the intermediate game, or you know, the screen game."
