It took former 5-star DE Byron Cowart a long time, but he finally started showing flashes of his talent this past year at Maryland.

In his one year with the Terrapins, Cowart appeared in all 12 games, recording 38 tackles (five for a loss), three sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble.

However, he started his career at Auburn, and was one of the biggest busts in recent history there. Still, as he prepares for the Senior Bowl in Mobile this week, he said he doesn’t have any regrets about his time with the Tigers.

Instead, he compared Auburn to a girlfriend that got away, saying he wished his career on The Plains had worked out better (via AL.com):

“Auburn is a great place, and I always was like, ‘Dang, I wish it would’ve worked out,’” Cowart said Tuesday in Mobile, where he’s participating in this week’s Senior Bowl. “Kind of like a girlfriend — the one that got away. I mean, things happen for a reason, you know what I’m saying? Fans, they still, every time — if someone says, ‘War Eagle,’ to me, I’m going to say it back, because there’s no bad blood. They helped me grow and mature as a person.”

Cowart was the No. 1 strong-side defensive end in the class of 2015 and the top player in Auburn’s class that year.

He needed to get away from the Tigers to find himself, but now he’s on track to spend next fall in the NFL.