“Doesn’t even say hi to me”: Former LSU star opens up about his reunion with Nick Saban after retiring from baseball

Former LSU Tigers star football player Matt Mauck opened up on his reunion with Nick Saban.

Mauck was recruited as a quarterback but was also a star baseball player. He ended up being drafted in 1997 by the Chicago Cubs and played minor-league baseball for three years before returning to college to play football.

Mauck was recruited by Nick Saban at Michigan State. But, by the time he was done with baseball, Saban was at LSU when Mauck called and was offered a spot on the team.

However, once he got to LSU, it wasn't the warm welcome he expected. On Thursday, he talked about the matter in a segment of ESPN's "Always College Football."

"I decide to retire and call him and he says you have a spot on LSU... Once I get back to LSU, we have this big history, saying Matt's my guy. I remember my first day, I see him in the hallway and say 'Hi coach coach, what's up?' He doesn't even say hi to me. Like nothing. Like oh, alright. I think everybody has stories like that," Mauck said at 4:10.

It's a story that many players have about Saban, but Mauck was surprised the coach didn't even say hi to him.

Mauck ended up playing three years at LSU from 2001 until 2003. He was the starting QB in 2003 going 229-for-358 for 2,825 yards, 28 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

He finished his college career going 310-for-529 for 3,831 yards, 37 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. The Denver Broncos selected Mauck in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL draft and spent three years in the NFL.

Matt Mauck reveals Nick Saban called him about potential recruit

Matt Mauck wasn't given the chance he thought at LSU, which he says did make the relationship with Nick Saban odd.

However, years after he left LSU, the two became friendly. It even got to the point that Saban called Mauck about a recruit who played both football and baseball, as Mauck did.

“He called me one time when he was at Alabama to ask me to talk to a kid who was a baseball-football guy ... I’ve got a lot of respect for him as a coach, he's a great coach, but I don’t think we’re going to have beers anytime soon,” Mauck said, via 247Sports. “He never really looked at me ... it kind of surprised him that I ever started at LSU. He never thought I was …. he thought I was a safety."

Despite Mauck not thinking Nick Saban liked him, he did start at QB at LSU for him which led to him getting drafted.