Auburn ‘a dream come true’ for Hart
AUBURN | You could say J.C. Hart has been a little obsessed since he was 4 years old.
Whether he was being driven home from school, out to dinner, grocery shopping or just around town, Hart would always insist they swing down South Donahue Drive to see Jordan-Hare Stadium.
“Every day, drive by the stadium,” recalled Hart’s mom, China Walker. “So I moved closer to the stadium. We stay on the stadium road. Every day, ‘Let’s turn down this way.’ I was like, ‘J.C. we done road up and down and seen this stadium so many times.’ He would just stare out at it.”
In just over a year, Hart could be playing his first college game inside Jordan-Hare. The Loachapoka (Ala.) High cornerback committed to the Tigers Friday evening.
“It’s very emotional,” said Walker. “We’ve been down a long journey, but that’s his school. As a child, he loved it. He picked where his heart was.
“It’s very special because my son’s dream came true.”
While Auburn was always among Hart’s top schools, his recruitment wasn’t straightforward. He picked up more than 20 offers including a few from SEC schools but AU was a holdout until a standout performance at camp.
Hart attended Auburn’s elite camp June 10 where he ran a 4.37 40-yard dash and excelled in 1-on-1's against the receivers. About 10 days later, he was invited back to the athletic offices to meet with the coaches.
“They wanted to meet with us and then they were talking and we were like, ‘OK, what are we here for?’ And then they said, ‘Well, we brought you in to let you know we’re going to offer you.’ Everybody was calm and then it was like he was in tears and just very happy,” said Loachapoka head coach Cedric Newton.
Hart narrowed his choices to AU, UCF, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt before choosing the Tigers.
“This is a big day for our high school,” said Newton. “To get a kid to commit to an SEC school is real big for our program. It leads the way for our younger guys to show that it can happen at Loachapoka High School.
“Dreams can come true and J.C. is a very fine example of that. He’s got the heart of a champion. You’ve got a kid that grew up as an Auburn fan and he will go there and play for Auburn.”
Newton has no doubt that Hart will be ready to contribute as a true freshman next fall.
“He’s long, fast, will cover a lot of ground. Everything you’re looking for in a cornerback,” he said. “He’s a legit 6-2, got a long wingspan. He’s got 4.3 speed and weighs in at 175. Very strong in the weight room, works out hard. He’s going to be the first one there and the last one to leave.”
Hart plays safety for Loachapoka and will also be used on offense and special teams.
“He’s the captain of the whole entire defense,” said Newton. “We have him playing safety so he can line everybody up right. His energy on the field and … he knows what’s going on at every position so he does a very good job of running the defense. He’s a coach on the field.
“When you’ve got a kid like that, you’ve got to use him all over the field.”