Freshman kicker J.J. Molson chose UCLA’s Mora over Alabama’s Saban

Tension hung in the air like Texas humidity as J.J. Molson lined up for the first field-goal attempt of UCLA’s training camp.

“Hey, no pressure, J.J.,” one of his teammates bellowed, “except for in the game.”

Molson took a few quick steps forward and booted the ball through the uprights.

It wasn’t the only distraction the freshman kicker readily dismissed during early practices. Before almost every snap, defensive line coach Angus McClure squirted high-arcing streams of water from a plastic bottle at Molson, his holder and their linemen.

The kicker always maintained his footing and his composure.

Molson has welcomed the strain that’s preceded his college debut Sept. 3 against Texas A&M. He’s not easily rattled, having readily turned down an offer to play for the gravely serious Nick Saban.

The Alabama coach was watching Molson kick at a camp last year when he made a series of progressively longer field goals. Molson finally missed from 55 yards and the Crimson Tide’s special teams coordinator told Molson he could stop there before Saban interjected.

“Nope,” Saban told the recruit. “Do it again.”

Molson nailed the do-over with Saban standing beside him. The duo then retreated to Saban’s office, where he offered Molson a scholarship.

Molson eventually had to tell Saban nope after UCLA made its own offer. Westwood had long been Molson’s dream destination because the Montreal native coveted a cosmopolitan lifestyle for his college years. Another selling point was that his family owns a house in Palm Desert and his father’s brother-in-law lives in Orange County.

The Molsons are well known throughout Canada. Geoff Molson, the second cousin of J.J.’s father, John, owns the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and the family retains a stake in its namesake Molson Coors Brewing Company. John Molson works as the vice president of research and development for Immunotec, a nutritional supplement distributor, and Miriam Olson, J.J.’s mother, runs an optometry practice.

Canadian Business magazine estimated the Molson family’s net worth last December at $1.63 billion in U.S. currency, though living abroad has afforded J.J. a lower profile.

“Not many people know about the hockey team,” Molson said, “but some people know about the beer.”

Molson could openly enjoy the family beverage at home because the legal drinking age in his province was 18.

“I was able to drink,” he said before moving his mouth closer to a reporter’s voice recorder, “very responsibly with adult supervision.”

Now Molson gets his kicks from his kicks. He grew up playing soccer and a slew of other sports before seeking a more breathtaking endeavor in high school.

“At the end of grade nine,” recalled Mike Maurovich, the athletic director and football coach at Selwyn House School in Montreal, “he came to me and said, ‘Listen, I need more of a challenge. It’s always the same thing in soccer.’ ”

Molson joined the football team, becoming a prolific cornerback, punter and kicker for the Gryphons. He might have also been a standout at quarterback considering he completed all five of his passes on fake punts.

The catch for Molson was that football heroics in Canada didn’t carry the same clout with major college coaches across the border. But Maurovich knew how to play the recruiting game. He had sent David Smith, one of his previous standouts, to a camp run by kicking guru Chris Sailer in the U.S. and Smith eventually landed at Dartmouth.

A few years later, Sailer inquired about possible Selwyn successors.

“Sailer said, ‘Do you have anyone else?’ ” Maurovich recalled, “and I said, ‘We do.’ ”

Molson’s best high school kicks were NFL caliber — one of his punts soared more than 70 yards and he made a 65-yard field goal in practice. His prowess made him the second Canadian high school player selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and the first international player to top Sailer’s ranking of kickers.

He’ll handle field goals and kickoffs at UCLA, where he’s following the most decorated kicker in school history. Ka’imi Fairbairn was the Pac-12 Conference’s all-time leading scorer and the Lou Groza Award winner last season as the nation’s top kicker before heading to the NFL.

Just a little more pressure that Molson covets.

“If you have pressure,” Molson said, “then people have expectations of you, people believe you are good.”

Molson said he’s never played before a crowd much larger than 1,000, meaning he could be in for quite the sensory jolt next week when the Bruins arrive in College Station, Texas, to play Texas A&M. The capacity at Kyle Field: 102,733.

Molson set the background on his computer screen to a picture of the massive stadium last spring so that he could envision what it would be like to play there. He also estimated he had watched Texas kicker Justin Tucker’s game-winning field goal over the Aggies in 2011 on their home field more than 150 times.

“I’ll be prepared for anything,” Molson said, “because I’ve visualized any situation possible.”

He didn’t say whether that included his teammates hoisting him onto their shoulders after a pressure-packed kick.

Quick hits

Coach Jim Mora said there was no separation among running backs Soso Jamabo, Bolu Olorunfumi and Nate Starks and that he would consider all three starters for the duration of the season. … Defensive end Deon Hollins suffered what Mora described as “a little bit of a setback” in his return from a concussion Wednesday when he experienced some discomfort during practice. Fullback Cameron Griffin also remained sidelined by a concussion, but Mora said tight end Austin Roberts was expected to return Monday from the concussion that had kept him out of practice in recent days. … The Bruins’ offensive players wore their new game uniforms featuring a different cut and fabric in addition to lengthened shoulder stripes in practice Thursday, allowing them to request alterations more than a week before the season opener. “I love them,” tight end Nate Iese said. “It was nice to be able to come out here and put on some nice, brand new, unstinky jerseys for once.” The defensive players will wear their new uniforms Friday.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

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