Tomlinson's quick hands lead defensive line

Dalvin Tomlinson only lost two wrestling matches growing up. He fell flat during his first-ever varsity match, and then he later got disqualified for hip-tossing his opponent onto his neck.

The University of Alabama defensive lineman was dominant, and the skills he learned as a wrestler have helped him become a force to be reckoned in the football realm.

“I watch a lot of things he does with his hands, and I can’t really pick up on it,” linebacker Ryan Anderson said. “It’s just natural the stuff he does. I don’t know if he took jujitsu or something in the jungle.”

Tomlinson credits his hand techniques to his wrestling years. The biggest thing he learned was leverage, which can determine the battle between defensive and offensive lines.

But a defensive lineman’s hands are the key to success.

“You use your hands every single play,” Tomlinson said, “and simply, if you don’t have good hand placement, you’re going to pretty much get blown off by the offensive lineman and lose your block and lose your gap, which leads to big plays by the offense.”

The Georgia native joined the Crimson Tide in 2012, but he redshirted his first season. After a knee injury ended his following season prematurely, Tomlinson became a constant fixture in Alabama’s defensive line as of 2014 and has not relinquished his spot since.

Tomlinson led the team with six pass breakups last season and has made 11 tackles since the Crimson Tide first took the field against Southern Cal in its season opener. He’s also responsible for a sack and a pass breakup.

“He is a technician, for sure,” offensive lineman Bradley Bozeman said. “No matter what you game-plan for him, he’s always going to be there with a counter for it. He’s a really good defensive lineman.”

From Bozeman’s point of view, Tomlinson is one of the hardest players to block.

Apart from Da’Shawn Hand, Anderson dubbed Tomlinson as Alabama’s fastest defensive lineman. Anderson has thought that for quite some time, but the reality of it all hit him when he finally he realized how much Tomlinson weighs.

Anderson always thought Tomlinson weighed in somewhere around 280 pounds, but he was wrong. Tomlinson’s 6-foot-3 frame is a solid 307 pounds.

“He got up on the scale, and I was like dang, he don’t look like it,” Anderson said. “He don’t play like it.”

Said Tomlinson, “Ryan just thinks I’m a freak of nature as it is already.”

Tomlinson doesn’t care whether or not outsiders underrate him. As long as he’s helping his teammates, he’s happy, which explains why he consistently has a smile on his face.

“Dalvin is a big part of this defense,” Anderson said. “He doesn’t get a lot of credit he deserves, but Dalvin is a monster.”