The University of Alabama football program hired Matt Rhea and David Ballou from Indiana in March of 2020 to improve its strength and conditioning department.
Both coaches prevented soft tissue injuries from the Crimson Tide and had players peaking at the right time. The team would run through its conference-only schedule and captured a national championship. After an undefeated season, Ballou and Rhea have been training athletes during the offseason. Dr. Rhea is focused on assisting the Tide to repeat as champions and on Monday, he spent time getting a defensive lineman to run at full speed. DJ Dale, a native of Birmingham, Ala., had some good moments as a true freshman in 2019. He recorded 17 tackles (three for loss), one sack, one quarterback hurry, and one fumble recovery.
@djdale94 looking good on some assisted starts. I really like the neurological stimulus of assisted work. This guy has worked through a lot and it’s great to see him moving so well now. pic.twitter.com/mdrnyG6pQN
— Matt Rhea, PhD (@MattRheaPhD) March 8, 2021
A knee injury sidelined him in the final three games of 2019, but Dale had success through 10 matchups.
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Last season, he totaled 22 tackles in 13 games. He had one tackle for loss, two pass breakups, and one fumble recovery but lacked the explosiveness from the previous year.
The 6-foot-3, 307-pounder has pushed through adversity and Rhea is helping him get faster.
Dale is entering his junior campaign, and NFL scouts want to see what he possesses at nose tackle.
According to Leonard Stephen of Step By Step Sports Training, Dale got in two weeks of work before the start of Alabama’s Fourth Quarter Program. He is transitioning back to the speed he had as a freshman. If he can keep it up, Dale will break through and have a good season.
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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.
