Dazalin Worsham a name to remember for Alabama
TRUSSVILLE, Ala. — It’s pronounced Duh-zay-lin.
This is not the first time Dazalin Worsham has had to correct someone who said his name wrong, and it won’t be the last. The four-star Alabama commit commonly hears people call him “Dazzle-in” — a fitting attempt given his penchant for pulling off highlight catches.
“I get that all the time,” Worsham said with a laugh. “Like if I meet someone for the first time, it’s ‘Dazzle-in.’”
Worsham’s mother, Carmen Thurman, wanted her son to have a name people had never heard of. While pregnant with Worsham she went through potential names, reciting the possibilities out loud while hoping for some sort of response.
“I was kind of going to let him pick his name,” Thurman said. “He never would move around when I said any other name, but when I said Dazalin he’d just start moving around everywhere.”
That didn’t change after his birth. Worsham had an active childhood and spent most of that energy on the football field. Thurman claims she knew her son had a special talent the first time he suited up at the age of 6.
Even then Worsham showed off his non-stop motor, zooming past fellow teammates up and down the field. Not even bedtime could slow down the pee-wee playmaker.
“He loved football so much that before gameday he’d sleep fully dressed,” Thurman said. “He’d have everything on except his shoulder pads. He’d literally pop out of bed and be like, ‘OK, I’m ready.’”
Ten years later, Worsham hasn’t lost a step. Breaking into the varsity ranks last year, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound receiver pulled in 70 receptions for 856 yards and nine touchdowns while helping Hewitt-Trussville High School to the Alabama 7A quarterfinals.
The performance, along with the aforementioned mistaken first name, earned Worsham the nickname “Razzle Dazzle” by a few of his high school coaches.
“I think spring practice going into his sophomore year, you could just tell he had a chance to be really good,” Hewitt-Trussville head coach Josh Floyd said. “His ability to run routes in a one-on-one situation, that’s where he’s really good. He’s fast, and what makes him special is he’s very difficult to stop when he gets into one-on-one situations.”
Worsham started attending college camps last summer and the offers soon followed. By the end of his breakout season, the four-star receiver had Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia and LSU calling his name. Ultimately, the school that felt like home was the one an hour and 15 minutes up the road as Worsham committed to Alabama on April 20.
“Really the receivers fit me, I’m tight with all of them,” Worsham said of his decision. “Coach [Josh] Gattis is a great receivers coach, and it’s just home. I feel like it’s the best place for me.”
Worsham is one of three Alabama commits from Hewitt-Trussville, joining offensive lineman Pierce Quick and quarterback Paul Tyson — both four-stars in the 2019 class. The 2020 receiver followed Quick to Alabama’s OL/DL camp last week and made a return trip to Tuscaloosa over the weekend as he attends another high school camp this week.
When he’s not visiting his future home, Worsham spends a lot of his time looking to build chemistry with Tyson. After a big year last season, the two are planning to put on another show before linking back up at Alabama in the future.
“I know those guys are ready to get back together just by hearing them talk,” Floyd said. “They are going to these camps and they really know each other. It’s big, we’re excited about that this year.”
This offseason, Worsham has worked on adding weight in order to make himself a more complete receiver. Alabama coaches have told him they like his route-running ability and view him as a player who can contribute at several spots on the field.
The versatile receiver said he takes elements from New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr.’s game while also comparing his style to Alabama receivers Jerry Jeudy and DeVonta Smith. That, plus a few “Razzle Dazzle” plays of his own.
There’s only one Dazalin, and it’s a name people are going to have to start getting used to.