Sleeper DB with something to prove

By Nick Leach

A mover and a shaker. A popular phrase in our society but Lake Orion safety Alex Fine is the literal example of that. Alex began his junior year in the 2009 season at Cincinnati Moeller High School, but due to his fathers’ work related move he found himself relocated in Michigan come playoff time.

That explains the mover portion, while the shaker attribute is relegated to his 6’1 183 lb. frame that loves to step in the box to shut down the run, an adage to his Ohio high school days. He may have been moved out of the spotlight during the school transition and shuffle, but there will be no denying Alex his rightful accolades this fall as recruiters come knocking.

An Ohioan in rivals’ country will never prove to be the safest of moves, let alone being done during the season. Naturally, his teammates took awhile to get around to accepting Alex as one of their own until he proved himself during practice and in the late season playoff push, which ended in back to back losses for the season finale and playoff opener to rival Clarkston High School.

“As soon as I transferred in, there were no hard feelings. I took a couple cheap shots in the beginning, but after a few practices it was all good.”

This speaks well for his transition to college as he has already had to deal with proving himself on the field, something college coaches will surely appreciate and makes for a more seasoned recruit.

Having a unique perspective from playing in both states, how do the two styles of play differ?

“The dedication is always there, doing the same type of workouts. Basically it’s just size. In Ohio, you see some big guys but in Michigan you see some more skill position guys. Ohio is more hard hitting while Michigan is more speed and technique. It’s been helping me out a lot as I’ve done 7 on 7’s every Saturday with some pretty good talent.”

He’s not just a hard hitter either, but also has above average speed and agility shown by a high 4.5, low 4.6 40 yard dash and a 4 flat shuttle time. That’s an extremely impressive mix of size and speed, with the flex in the hips that will give him a large advantage in his versatility in the secondary.

Where does he see himself lining up in college?

“My size is more of a safety, they may put me at corner but safety is what I’ll be at in high school. Just depends on the college, some are looking at the corner and some at safety.”

With his style of play, who does he feel he compares to at the next level?

“Tom Nelson from the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s one of the fastest corners and safeties, he’s a hard hitter and nobody has really heard of him but he’s made a name for himself.”

His future still largely remains a mystery. Iowa State, Central Michigan, Ohio University and Michigan State have been in contact, with Iowa State seemingly pushing a little harder than the others. None have offered currently, but due to the in-season transition that is not a surprise.

To make up for lost time, the possible future Business major plans on hitting the road hard this summer to get his name out there more, but whom would he like to hear from? “My dream school is Miami (Fl.). I love the Hurricanes, hopefully after combines and a good senior year they’ll help me out.”

Fine is willing to go anywhere in the country to continue his playing career, so location will not play a factor in this process.

“Basically location doesn’t matter, could be in Hawaii or Alaska, I don’t care about the proximity to home. I want to like the college life, the football team and the coaches. Playing time will have an effect too.”

With his physical attributes, Alex Fine has what it takes to be a secondary leader in the future. What is impressive though is that his mental disposition matches his determined style of play. This is what he had to say on the recruiting method. “Every little criticism I take personally, it just makes me want to get better. I know they have me a little underrated on some sites and the transfer didn’t help, but every little criticism makes me want to work that much harder."

Pay close attention recruiting nation to Mr. Fine. A year in one place after a summer of displaying his special size and speed across the Midwest will help put him right where he belongs, in the spotlight. With only a few games under his belt, he has already earned himself a spot at #24 in-state with a 5.6 rating, good for a 3-star. The future is bright, and his stock should only soar this coming season.