"At Alabama, you train as professionals": Dallas Turner claims the culture at Tuscaloosa prepares athletes for NFL

Dallas Turner has had a brilliant run in Alabama. The linebacker arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2021 as a five-star prospect and ended up becoming one of the best pass rushers in college football. After three seasons in Tuscaloosa, he is set to transition to the professional stage.

While the NFL is a whole new stage entirely, Turner believes it won't be something strange. The Florida native recently said players in the Crimson Tide team are trained like professionals, which adequately prepares them for the higher demands of the unforgiving stage.

"Going into this professional level, it probably will be nothing new for me, in my opinion, because at Alabama, you train as professionals," Dallas Turner said on Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine (via Sports Illustrated).

"The main difference between the next level and the college level is the talent level of course. But you just always have to have that confidence, you know you gotta put the work in every single day because you're a professional," he added.

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Dallas Turner’s weight fluctuation at Alabama

Dallas Turner is a versatile athlete and that has been evident on the gridiron for the Crimson Tide. He's played in a couple of roles for Nick Saban’s team, excelling in all of them. Speaking on his weight fluctuations, Turner said:

"The weight journey at Alabama was crazy coming in, I was 260 lbs. but that was a COVID-19 260, but I fluctuated. (I) played my freshman at 240, sophomore year at 245, and my junior year at 255 but probably the best weight I had was my junior year."

The linebacker believes that the size he had during his junior year is ideal for him as he prepares for the professional stage.

"That's probably the best weight I can move at," Turner said. "I feel kinda powerful compared to the 225 my freshman year by the end of the season. Then the 255 in my junior season, I could tell the difference for sure in the strength, the power, the explosiveness.”

Dallas Turner is in line to be the first pass rusher selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. His draft stock has witnessed significant growth recently and the NFL Combine is another opportunity to impress. The linebacker is confident he won't get complacent as he is always trying to improve.