Path to the Pros 2012: Dont’a Hightower

The on-field play and leadership of inside linebacker Dont'a Hightower is the reason why he and several of his Alabama Crimson Tide teammates are projected first-round selections in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Don't'a Hightower is Training at API to prepare for the NFL draft. Don't'a describes the improvements he has made and the determination he has to perform at his best level.Don't'a Hightower: I'm Don't'a Hightower, Lewisville, Tennessee, University of Alabama inside linebacker. I'm out here training at API. It's been really great, a lot of things that I've not really been used to coming from Alabama. The atmosphere is great, great training staff, you have everything you need. It's been really good out here training with some of the guys, a couple of my teammates from Alabama. Having that backbone, knowing that when you come in at eight o'clock in the morning you're going to actually have someone you know who's going to push you and compete.Me and Courtney have been together ever since we've known each other at the University of Alabama. Knowing that I'm coming in and getting better, that's he's going to push me that extra foot and extra inches and the same is going for him. We've been doing this for the last four years. So it feels great to come out here and actually have guys that you know to work out with every day. A lot of people kind of doubted my speed a lot but I feel like I've got decent feet but to be able to come up and take another step into the NFL, to a profession, I want to be top notch at that. Everything that we do each and every day helps us out a lot and it definitely helps me out with my speed. I've cut my ten and my 20 down significantly. It's looking great. It's really helped me all around on my body.Playing at the University of Alabama, something we pride on is defense and run defense at that. This is definitely something I love to do. I pride myself on stopping the run. I feel like my abilities diagnosing those plays quickly as far as reading the offensive lineman, reading the quarterbacks eyes, trying to get a feel of what the offensive coordinator likes to do, I feel like that's another strong point in my game.I'm a big guy but I've got a lot of speed behind me too, a lot of power and I'm defiantly looking forward to being a part of a new team and starting something new. I'm definitely going to be a all header. I'm physically determined. It's definitely something that you're looking forward to every time the game comes on.