6-foot-8, 400-pound Australian talks Alabama and Learning Football.

Wilson Monroe · Mar 17, 2017

crimsonaudio said:
You're comparing apples to orangutans - Fluker (5*) was the #1 ranked OL (#3 ranked overall prospect regardless of position) in the nation coming out of HS.

Thanks for pulling this info. I thought he came in with bad technique and weight. Must be thinking of someone else? I’ll see if I can figure out who it was.

Wilson Monroe · Mar 17, 2017

Hey, I found it. It was Fluker I was thinking of. They did have him pegged as having bad weight and technique, despite the high recruiting ranking. Y'all please don't hate on me for linking BleacherReport. I know, I know.

"Fluker came to Alabama weighing over 350 lbs., but he's cut a lot of that bad weight off and built muscle under strength coach Scott Cochran.

The offensive line is one of the most difficult positions to learn, but D.J. Fluker will finally have all the X's and O's figured out by next season.
His footwork was always his weakness, but he has improved every game since he earned the starting position as a redshirt freshman in 2010."

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/940854-alabama-football-early-preview-of-the-2012-offensive-line

NoNC4Tubs · Mar 19, 2017

Wilson Monroe said:
Hey, I found it. It was Fluker I was thinking of. They did have him pegged as having bad weight and technique, despite the high recruiting ranking. Y'all please don't hate on me for linking BleacherReport. I know, I know.

"Fluker came to Alabama weighing over 350 lbs., but he's cut a lot of that bad weight off and built muscle under strength coach Scott Cochran.

The offensive line is one of the most difficult positions to learn, but D.J. Fluker will finally have all the X's and O's figured out by next season.
His footwork was always his weakness, but he has improved every game since he earned the starting position as a redshirt freshman in 2010."

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/940854-alabama-football-early-preview-of-the-2012-offensive-line

The guys at BR are amateur hacks. Anyone can write BR articles...and they do.

bama61 · Mar 19, 2017

NoNC4Tubs said:
The guys at BR are amateur hacks. Anyone can write BR articles...and they do.

Can't say I disagree with your point regarding BR, but in the case of Fluker I'm afraid they have a pretty good point. D.J. wasn't redshirted because he arrived on campus in playing shape, and while he was always a formidable power blocker, he had real problems on pass protection when faced with speed rushers throughout his whole career at Bama. The big guy just didn't have particularly quick feet and still doesn't best I could see when I've watched him on the tube playing for San Diego. Awesome physical specimen though.

Alasippi · Mar 19, 2017

bama61 said:
Can't say I disagree with your point regarding BR, but in the case of Fluker I'm afraid they have a pretty good point. D.J. wasn't redshirted because he arrive on campus in playing shape, and while he was always a formidable power blocker, he had real problems on pass protection when faced with speed rushers throughout his whole career at Bama. The big guy just didn't have particularly quick feet and still doesn't best I could see watching him on the tube playing for San Diego. Awesome physical specimen though.

His junior year in high school he played in Biloxi rather than Foley. He played nose tackle.
Ocean Springs had a 6-3 290 offensive guard named Dalton Jarrell who ate his lunch.
I saw Dalton after the game at Waffle House and asked him about D.J. He said, "I kicked his ... all over the football field"
And Ocean Springs killed 'em.
D.J. had a TON of raw ability but yes, he was a project, much like the kid in question.
Is it worth taking the chance? Absolutely.
I think Fluker ended up as the sixth pick in the NFL draft if I'm not mistaken.

Wilson Monroe · Mar 20, 2017

DJ's footwork improved by leaps and bounds while in Tuscaloosa. He never was as smooth as a smaller/quicker lineman would be, but he definitely improved before he left.

The thing about him that I will always remember first was how amped up he would get. He lit a fire under everyone on the line, and me too when watching at home. I couldn't have held my own for 2 seconds with the defenders he faced, but I would have tried. :biggrin:

bama61 · Mar 20, 2017

Alasippi said:
His junior year in high school he played in Biloxi rather than Foley. He played nose tackle.
Ocean Springs had a 6-3 290 offensive guard named Dalton Jarrell who ate his lunch.
I saw Dalton after the game at Waffle House and asked him about D.J. He said, "I kicked his ... all over the football field"
And Ocean Springs killed 'em.
D.J. had a TON of raw ability but yes, he was a project, much like the kid in question.
Is it worth taking the chance? Absolutely.
I think Fluker ended up as the sixth pick in the NFL draft if I'm not mistaken.

Yep, raw is an accurate term. If I remember correctly he played for a different school each year he was in high school and only played offense as a senior. No a particularly good pre-college preparation, especially as an offensive lineman. Of course, on top of that the families financial circumstances and resulting living conditions, particularly post-Ivan didn't lend itself to anything close to a sound nutritional program either. Takes a pretty good man to even be a prospect faced with all that.

NoNC4Tubs · Mar 21, 2017

Maybe we should just rename this thread...?

So who (coach) is recruiting this kid for us? :cool2:

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