Now, the two players are on the same team.
ANN ARBOR — When Shea Patterson arrived at Michigan in January, he already had one familiar face from high school on the team in Cesar Ruiz.
But there was another. And tight end Nick Eubanks still won’t let Patterson forget the story.
It was senior year for both, 2016, when Patterson’s IMG Academy hosted Eubanks and American Heritage High School in Bradenton, Florida.
« I ended up taking one of his receivers’ touchdowns and picking it off, » Eubanks, now in his junior season at Michigan, told reporters on Tuesday. « As a matter of fact, for a touchdown. »
As it turns out, Eubanks wasn’t exaggerating. A story from the Miami Herald on Aug. 23,2015, three years ago from today, describes Patterson’s final scramble as a « Johnny Manziel-esque weave up into traffic back out into safety » before he found receiver Drake Davis 75 yards down field, in the right-front corner of the end zone.
IMG players celebrated what they thought was a game-winning touchdown, but a holding penalty was called at the line of scrimmage. They would have to do it again.
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« Every day, » Eubanks says, referring to how often he reminds Patterson of the play. « Any chance I get. But at the end of the day, it’s all love between me and him. »
Video replay confirms, too. Patterson heaved the ball from IMG’s 15-yard line toward the end zone, it fell short and there was Eubanks — lined up as a safety — to pull it out of the air and return it for a touchdown.
Eubanks says it was 98 yards, though the Herald’s account says it was 90. Either way, American Heritage won the season opener for both schools, 19-7.
« That was the for game-winning touchdown, » Eubanks points out. « Yeah, he definitely gets reminded about that. »
When someone found the clip and posted it to Twitter earlier this week, Patterson responded in jest: « Uhhh you should find the clip 30 seconds before this one.. #phantomhold »
Now that the two are on the same team, Eubanks says he and Patterson joke about the play every day. He never lets him forget it, and Patterson has apparently forgiven him, he says.
« Every day, » Eubanks said. « I even show him (the clip). »
Michigan opens the season Sept. 1 at Notre Dame, when the two will line up on the same side of the field together.
Eubanks is one of three tight ends expected to receive plenty of playing time in Jim Harbaugh’s new-look offense this fall. Patterson will take snaps under center.
When jokingly told he might not get thrown the ball now, Eubanks smiled sharply and quickly shot back: « Oh yes, he will. »
