The Mobile, Alabama area has been notorious for producing some of the best talent in the country in recent years. Theodore High School’s Lamical Perine is no exception and looks to become the next big-time player from the area and if you’ve seen him play you would know why.
If the last name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s a cousin to NCAA single-game rushing record holder Samaje Perine of Oklahoma University. As for this Perine, when asked what his biggest strength was, “Probably my stiff arm and my ability to break tackles,” he said when contacted earlier. “I’ve been playing football all my life.” And it shows every time he touches the ball and last year alone he put up staggering numbers with over 1,400 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.
At 5’11” 215 pounds, Perine, whose currently rated a high three-star prospect by most outlets, has the size, speed (4.51, 40), and strength (335 bench press) SEC coaches covet and many other schools are taking notice. As for schools who have offered the talented back? “Mississippi State, Louisiana Lafayette, Minnesota, Southern Miss, Troy, Cincinnati, Colorado State, and South Alabama.”
As an in-state player, Perine would love to stay and represent for his home state, and Bobcats head coach Eric Collier believes he has more than enough talent to do that and more. “Lamical Perine is an outstanding football player. He’s a physical, downhill runner who excels at gaining yards after contact.” According to Collier, his greatest attributes extend far beyond the football field and his character just may be the key quality that sets him apart from other top running backs. “One of the things I absolutely love about Lamical is he truly loves football. He always gives you everything. He is a GREAT young man and has become a great leader for us this spring.”
Collier has been with the Theodore program for quite some time now and was an assistant coach when former Alabama Crimson Tide All-American linebacker C.J. Mosley was roaming the same field Perine plays on today, and he believes Perine is cut from the same cloth in terms of having the ability to play for both in-state powerhouses. “Lamical can play for any team in the state. He is a top-tier athlete and both programs would be happy to have him.”
So far, former Vigor High School head coach and current Alabama assistant Kerry Stevenson has been the main coach recruiting him for the Tide. As for schools he’s visited recently, “The last schools I’ve visited were Mississippi State, Florida, Alabama, and LSU.”
As for an offer from the Tide? Perine has not received one yet, but is hoping to earn one this summer. The talented runner blessed with size, speed, and strength remains humble and believes his hard work will pay off in the end.
Brandon Williams is an Editor and Columnist for Touchdown Alabama. You can follow him on Twitter, @TFRdotNet, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
