| Alabama Crimson Tide — No. 30 | |
| Linebacker | Junior |
| Major: None | |
| Date of birth: March 12, 1990 | |
| Place of birth: Lewisburg, Tennessee | |
| Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | Weight: 260 lb (118 kg; 18 st 8 lb) |
| Career history | |
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| High school: Marshall County High School, Lewisburg, Tennessee |
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College(s):
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| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at CBSSports.com | |
Dont'a Hightower (born March 12, 1990) is an American football linebacker. He is currently attending the University of Alabama in his junior year. He was granted a medical redshirt after his original sophomore campaign was cut short by a knee injury in the fourth game of the season. Hightower is considered one of the best inside linebackers of his class.[1]
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Attending Marshall County High School in Lewisburg, Tennessee, Hightower first drew recognition his sophomore year when the team's starting running back quit the team. In the last four games of the season, he rushed for over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns.[2] After growing to 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) prior to his junior year, Hightower was moved to linebacker and tight end. He collected 98 tackles, two sacks, and seven forced fumbles, while at TE, he caught 18 passes for 253 yards and four touchdowns.[2]
Having grown to 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) as a senior, Hightower again switched positions, playing defensive end. After recording 168 tackles (14 for loss), five forced fumbles, five interceptions and four fumble recoveries, he was named 3A Mr. Football Lineman of the Year and The Tennessean′s Defensive Most Valuable Player in 2007. He also added 875 yards and 19 touchdowns on offense.
Hightower was selected to play in the U.S. Army East West All-Star Game in San Antonio, Texas. He also earned four-star ratings from Rivals.com and Scout.com.
| “ | Dont'a [Hightower] can play any position on the field. He's a freak to me. | ” |
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—Alabama teammate Rolando McClain.[3] |
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As one of only two true freshmen to be regular starter for the Crimson Tide in 2008, Hightower started 12 games while playing in all 14 at weakside inside linebacker ("Will") in the Alabama's 3-4 defense, next to Rolando McClain who occupied the other inside linebacker spot ("Mike"). Hightower recorded 64 tackles (4th on the team) and 2.5 tackles for loss, while also having one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. He had at least one tackle in each game and had five or more stops in seven of 14 games, including 10 against Tulane and a career-high 11 at LSU. He was subsequently named to numerous Freshman All-American teams.[4][5][6]
For the 2009 season, during the Arkansas game, Hightower suffered a knee injury in the first quarter when he was cut blocked by an Arkansas lineman. He was diagnosed a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and missed the rest of the season with surgery.[7] True freshman Nico Johnson replaced him at weakside linebacker. Hightower recorded 16 tackles including 4 tackles for loss. Having played only four games, he was granted a medical redshirt making him a redshirt sophomore in 2010.
Expected to return for the 2010 season, Hightower "will be the nucleus of a young defense".[8] He is expected to replace McClain as Alabama’s middle linebacker.[9]
| Year | GP–GS | Tackles | Sacks | Pass Defense | Fumbles | Blocked | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | Ast | Total | Loss–Yards | No–Yards | Int–Yards | BU | PD | QBH | Rcv–Yards | FF | Kick | ||
| 2008 | 14–12 | 26 | 38 | 64 | 2.5–6 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2–8 | 1 | 0 |
| 2009 | 4–4 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 4.0–7 | 1–4 | 0–0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0–0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 14–14 | 30 | 40 | 70 | 3.5-8 | 0.0-0 | 1-2 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | 10–10 | 30 | 36 | 66 | 8.5-32 | 3.0-16 | 1-29 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 91 | 125 | 216 | 18.5–53 | 1.0–4 | 2–31 | 7 | 6 | 23 | 2–8 | 2 | 0 | |
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