The University of Louisville football team got a late 2013 signee on Saturday from four-star Tallahassee, Fla., linebacker James Hearns, a former Florida commitment ranked as the nation’s No. 197 overall player by Rivals.com. Hearns had not signed with with Division I college while he waited to be cleared academically to compete this fall. He said he received a qualifying ACT score this week and immediately set up a visit with Louisville, after which he committed. He discussed his decision and his academic status in a phone interview with The Courier-Journal on Saturday.
So did you officially visit Louisville this weekend?
It was an official. … I flew in (Friday) morning. I caught a 5:45 flight out of Tallahassee. I left today because of all the coaches going on vacation. I was supposed to come (Thursday), but my flight got delayed, so I would have disconnected in Atlanta.
So when did you decide you wanted to visit there, and when did they decide they wanted to bring you in?
Once I qualified, Coach (Ron) Dugans (U of L wide receivers coach and primary recruiter in Tallahassee) hit me up and asked me where I was and where I wanted to be. They were already on my radar. They had come and talked to me a lot when I was in high school.
When did you find out you were qualified?
Like a few days ago.
Did you have to retake a test or take summer school?
I had the ACT.
So you go the ACT score you needed, and you’ve been graduated from high school for like a month, right?
Yup. Yeah.
So you are qualified, and will be able to play in the fall?
Yep.
When do you feel like you’ll enroll at Louisville, or when are you headed back?
July 10.
Is there a summer school session then?
Yeah, it’s that last session.
So you’ll enroll in summer school July 10 and will just stay there from that point, I guess?
Yes.
So what was that like when you found out you were good to go and that you would be able to play this fall?
It was great. It was just a real blessing to have some coaches and some schools stick with me that long and be able to say, ‘This guy got his stuff together, and we’re going to take a chance on him.’
What other schools were you considering there at the end, or which schools had gotten back in contact with you since you found out your test score?
Auburn and Florida.
So Florida and Auburn had also gotten back in touch with you this week?
Yeah, Florida, Auburn, Texas Tech, FAU. There were some schools that had reached out to me. It just all happened so fast that I didn’t really get out to a lot of schools, which is perfectly fine with me, though. I’m like in love with Louisville right now.
Which day did you find out about your test score?
Today’s Saturday. I was supposed to fly in Thursday night, so …. it was Wednesday.
You said you’re in love with Louisville right now. Why so? What did you see up there?
I just love the coaching staff, the direction the program is headed. They’re definitely an up-and-coming school. They already have a big resume after knocking off Florida last year (in the Sugar Bowl). They’re moving to the ACC next year, so I think they’ll do pretty good there. … Aside from the university, the people in (the city of) Louisville are really down to earth, good wholesome people. They’re the type of people you want to surround yourself around. The fans are great.
What’s your relationship been like with Coach Dugans, another guy from Tallahassee?
Oh, man, Coach Dugans, he went to middle school with my mom and aunts. He’s from Tallahassee, and I’ve known since I was freshman when he was stopping by the school to see other players.
What do you think about Louisville, as far as all the Florida guys who are playing up there, and then also Jeff Williams (a Lincoln 2014 linebacker) also being committed up there?
A lot of people from back home are up there, and me and Jeff are close. We hang out all the time. With me and him playing linebacker (at U of L in the future) that’s just the same as we was in high school. That’s the tandem. We’ll just keep it coming. It’s a real good thing.
How close were you to thinking you were going to be going to junior college or maybe prep school?
I literally had everything arranged to leave July 5, and I was going to head out to junior college. Then I got my test score back, and I told my high school coach. And next thing I know, he was like, ‘Coach Dugans said give him a call.’
Had you already picked a junior college?
It was down to Fullerton (Calif.) (College), Iowa Western, Butler and Fort Scott (both in Kansas).
So what was that like that you almost had your bags packed for junior college, and instead you’ll be playing for a team that could be in the preseason top 10?
It’s just a sigh of relief, a blessing. It’s something that still hasn’t hit me, and I haven’t wrapped my mind around it yet. It happened so soon. I’m thankful. I’m blessed. It feels great.
Were you interested in getting back in touch with Florida after they called you?
Yeah, it wasn’t a top-level interest. It was just the same interest with any school, just basically telling every school I made it. It wasn’t like it gave them an advantage.
A question about Kentucky. You were close to committing to Kentucky back in January, weren’t you?
Yeah, I was.
Whatever happened with that?
They just thought that …. where I was still needing that test score around at that time, they didn’t want to take a chance to sign me and me not make it.
Did they get back in touch with you at all this week?
Yeah, I believe they tried to, but I think I missed it or didn’t respond to it on my Facebook.
So they may have tried to get in touch with you on Facebook?
Yeah. I didn’t respond, though.
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