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David Paine

David Paine

DE, 6'6, 267, 4.7, 305 BP
Memphis, TN


High School: Melrose
HS Mascot: Wildcats
HS Coach: Tim Thompson
HS Position: DE
HS Number: 72
AL Number: 4
Official Visits: AL, GA, Memphis
Second Choice: Georgia
Host During Alabama Visit: Kindall Morehead
Committed: 3-4-99

Stats

HS Junior Season

Tackles

  • 95 total
  • 13 QB sacks

HS Senior Season

Tackles

  • 145 total
  • 42 QB sacks

Interceptions

  • 2 INTs
  • 2 TD returns
  • Longest INT return was for 60 yards

Career

Tackles

  • 385 total
  • 42 QB sacks

Interceptions

  • 2 INTs
  • 2 TD returns
  • Longest INT return was for 60 yards

Honors

  • Two-time All-Distirct
  • Two-time All-County
  • Two-time All-State
  • Parade All-American
  • SuperPrep National Top 50
  • Tampa Tribune National Top 100
  • Prep Star Dream Team
  • Atlanta Journal Southern Top 100
  • USA Today All American
  • Pigskin Preps Super South 75
  • Forrest Davis All South
  • SuperPrep All American
  • Prep Star All American

SBR Scouting Report

You can’t coach size and speed and David has excellent size and exceptional speed. Really rushes the passer off the edge with explosive speed. Will get much stronger on a college strength and conditioning program. Projects as a rush end.

[Observation: four complete games over the past two seasons.]

Stories

Paine And Morehead Together Again

David Paine has high goals for his freshman season.

"I want to outdo everything Kindal [Morehead] did," Paine says. "I want to have more sacks and more tackles than he had as a freshman. He made the freshman All-SEC team. I want to be a freshman All-American."

"It's not a rivalry. It's a friendly competition. We push each other to be better players."

It started two years ago when the they were teammates at Melrose.

"I was junior and he was a senior," recalls Paine. "We competed to see who could get the most sacks. I had 28 and he got 32. He'd get a sack on one play and I'd get one the next play. And sometimes we'd meet at the quarterback."

Paine wants to renew those meetings in the backfield.

"I've been working harder than ever on the weights. Since football season my bench has gone from 280 to 305. My weight is up to 267," he says.

"I want to be ready to win a starting job as a freshman. That's one reason I decided on Alabama. I want to keep the competition going with Kindal. I expect him to be on one side and me to be on the other, just like high school."

Not Impressed By Vols' National Title

The day after winning the national championship, Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer was all smiles.

"He came to see me the day after the game," recalls Paine. "He was talking about the game and said that everyone in Tennessee was excited about it."

Everyone but David Paine.

"He asked me what I thought about the game. I told him that I wasn't excited about it at all," Paine says. "I told him that I've always liked FSU more than Tennessee and I was mad that they won."

"Tennessee's got a great program and everything. But their national championship didn't impress me."

The Legend of Paine

His fame for sacking quarterbacks started in his sophomore season in the state semifinals against Kingsbury. It was his first game as a starter.

"I was a little nervous before the game," recalls Paine. "It was a big game for me, but it was even bigger for my team."

With less than a minute left, Melrose led by one point, but Kingsbury had a fourth-and-goal at the two-yard line.

"It came down to that one play," recalls Paine. "The tight end was supposed to block me, but he released and nobody picked me up."

Paine had a clear shot at the quarterback.

"I cleaned his clock out," Paine says. "I hit him so hard that he had a concussion."

"That was a big play to me. It saved the game and helped us go on to win the state championship the next week."

He Seeks Advice

"Every decision that I make I seek advice from older people. They've already gone through life and they've already made the decisions that I'm trying to make. They're much smarter than a young person like me. That's why I'm always seeking their advice and leadership."

Q&A

TI: Talk about the recruiting process. How did you make the decision to go to Alabama?

DP: First of all, I wasn't a shooin for any school. I didn't get serious about recruiting until after the state championship game. That's when I narrowed it down to Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia.

TI: Supposedly, Tennessee's negative recruiting tactics turned you off.

DP: Alabama and Tennessee were about even until they started that. When they [Tennessee] started it, I just told them that they were out of it. I liked Tennessee because they have a great program and some of my friends are there. But they have nobody to blame but themselves.

TI: Did Kindal Morehead influence you to choose Alabama?

DP: He never talked to me about it. Even when I visited down there, he didn't ask what I was thinking. We just went out and had a good time. That's what I liked about Alabama. There was never any pressure and everything was always positive. They never talked about other schools.

TI: Talk about your strengths.

DP: It's basically my speed, technique, and outthinking my opponent. I always try to stay one step ahead of my opponent by studying them on film and knowing their weaknesses. To me, everybody that I play against is a great player. Before every game, I tell myself that the guy I'm going against is great. That's how I motivate myself.

TI: Talk about areas that you need to improve.

DP: I've been staying in the weightroom a lot longer to help me get ready to play against big offensive linemen. I need to get stronger to take on the big linemen and big running backs. I've been making a lot of progress.

TI: Are you better against the pass or run?

DP: My speed helps me do both. But, like I said, I need to get stronger to take on big, powerful linemen and running backs for the whole game.

TI: Talk about Dennis Alexander.

DP: He scares people by just looking at them. He's 6'5 and well over 300 pounds. He's a great player from what I've seen.

TI: What about Derrick Woods? We've heard conflicting reports about his speed.

DP: Derrick reminds me a lot of that little receiver at Florida, Travis McGriff. He's got good speed and quickness. The thing I like about him the most is his hand. He's played a lot of basketball and baseball and that's helped him develop good hands.