He was one of the most exciting players in the 2019 signing class for Alabama football.
In following the blueprint from Marcell Dareus, Da’Ron Payne and Quinnen Williams, DJ Dale chose the Crimson Tide as an alumnus of Clay-Chalkville High School in the Birmingham (Ala.) area. He was on the northern side of 330 pounds upon his commitment, but training with Leonard Stephens of Step-By-Step Performance got him down to 308 pounds for spring ball.
Dale made a lot of noise in spring practice and earned the starting job at nose tackle.
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A knee injury would sideline him for the last three games of 2019; however, he still managed to total 17 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, one quarterback pressure and one fumble recovery. He endured a grueling rehab, but Jeff Allen and his team of trainers have the young man prepared for a big sophomore year.
During his first-ever interview with local reporters on Thursday, Dale said his knees ‘feel great’ and he praised the athletic training staff for making him ‘feel comfortable’ in rehab.
Despite his physical talents, Dale said the biggest growth he has made is from the mental part of the game.
“From me being injured, I had to spend a lot more time in the film room,” he said. “Just being able to recognize formations and things like that will give me a better chance this year.”
Prior to his injury, he was a strong yet quick two-gap defender. According to Deonte Brown, the Alabama offensive lineman said Dale is ‘very hard to move.’
“He (DJ Dale) is very stout against the run,” Brown said. “His football IQ is through the roof.”
As a freshman, he had to prepare himself to face the best competition in the Southeastern Conference.
Now a sophomore, Dale must begin to craft a leadership role. Luckily for him, there are multiple players on the team he can learn from.
He singled out Dylan Moses, Christian Barmore, LaBryan Ray and Ben Davis as athletes that everyone on the team respects. Dale views Moses as the ultimate communicator, Barmore as the energy of the defense, Ray as a quality leader and Davis as someone that young players go to with questions. When the conversation got on Freddie Roach, Dale’s eyes lit up.
“Coach Roach, that is my guy,” Dale said. “He is a great coach. We can talk to him about anything, whether it is about football or about life. He is a great mentor and I feel like we needed him as a group.”
The trio of Dareus, Williams and Payne all won at least one national championship at Alabama.
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All three players were first-round picks, and the duo of Payne and Williams are still in the National Football League.
This season, Dale is set to prove he is the next superstar defensive tackle for the Tide.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
