By Justin Graves

justin@athensnews-courier.com

Being in the limelight is something Athens defensive lineman Alfred McCullough is having to get used to. Ever since he became the first local football player to verbally commit to a Division I school when he announced he plans to attend the University of Alabama next year, he has become somewhat of a celebrity.

“I’ve got a lot of Auburn fans, and they joke on me a little bit,” he said.”But that kind of stuff don’t get to me.”

But McCullough’s plans for the future aren’t the only thing drawing attention toward the 6-foot, 3-inch 300-pound defensive lineman. The senior is also getting recognized as one of the most intimidating defensive linemen in the state. McCullough has been named the No. 1 player on The News Courier’s list of Limestone Super Seniors.

“Alfred and the rest of the guys on our defensive front are some imposing figures,” Athens coach Allen Creasy said. “They are all talented and play well as a unit.”

The potential that McCullough brings to the table is unlimited. With a large, strong frame and quick feet, he is one of the hardest defensive linemen to block in the state. Put him along side two other defensive linemen with similar skills – Carlos Jones and Maurice Ratliff – and opposing team’s running games are almost non-existent.

“All three of those guys are hard to block,” Creasy said. “We have a hard time blocking them in practice. Having players like that on your defensive line allows you to things other teams aren’t capable of, like running a three-man front. Everything we do on defensive starts with our defensive front.”

McCullough said that one thing that makes Athens’ defensive line so good is the competitiveness the players have among each other. He said that all three guys push each other to do more and work harder.

“We all have put a lot of hard work in over the years, “ McCullough said. “We all have been playing together for a long time, and we push each other to do more.”

Even though McCullough – who was named the 24th best senior in the state by the Birmingham News – has already made his decision about the future, playing at Alabama isn’t his No. 1 concern right now. He is primarily focused on the Golden Eagles’ upcoming season.

“Every high school football players dream is to win a state championship,” McCullough said. “That’s what I want to do this year.”

The third-year starter knows for that to happen, he is going to have to do his part. Last year he finished the season with 10 sacks and 67 tackles. This year he said one of his main goals is to break former Athens standout and Tennessee defensive end Wes Brown’s record of 96 tackles while recording 20 sacks.

“I want to be the type of player that Wes (Brown) was for us,” McCullough said. “I played with Wes (Brown) my first year, and I learned a lot from what he did. I came out more aggressive last year, and things started to happen for me. I think I can reach those goals if I keep at every week.

McCullough said that since this is his last year, he wants to ensure this group of seniors go out on top. He thinks with the amount of talent Athens has coming back along with the addition of several key athletes, this is the year everything will fall into place.

“This is our last year, and all of us have been together for a long time,” McCullough said. “We have a lot of seniors and a lot of leaders, and all of us want win. It’s a long season, and we’re going to play hard and enjoy every bit of it.”