Two years ago, linebacker Dont’a Hightower suffered a devastating knee injury from a cut block in the September 26 game against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The damage the injury caused forced Hightower to miss the rest of the ’09 season, undergo extensive surgery and rehab, and even hindered his level of play in the ’10 season. “I could tell I was a little bit slower,” Hightower said. “So I had to change the way I play a little bit. A lot of people kind of realized that I was a little bit slower, that I wasn’t able to use… my quickness and explosiveness to catch up to them…. I wasn’t able to do that last year.”

Now, however, Hightower said his knee is no longer giving him problems and that he should be back up to his playing ability before the injury. “I don’t have any knee pain at all,” Hightower said. “I’m like at 7 percent body fat, so that’s not an issue. I’m moving a lot faster than I was, able to keep up with some of the faster guys, so I feel like I’m back to where I was. This year, that’s not even part of the question.” If anyone beside Hightower himself knew he was back, it would be Barrett Jones. Jones, a junior offensive lineman, said he has had to deal with pass rushes from Hightower all through fall camp. “I think I’ve got a lot of great practice from both Dont’a and Courtney [Upshaw],” Jones said. “That’s something that you have to feel good about, that you’re going against such great players at practice. I can tell you from practicing that you do not want to get in long distance situations with those guys pinning their ears back.” For head coach Nick Saban, having Hightower’s leadership and experience on an already talented defense is a huge plus for his team. “[Hightower] certainly has had a good offseason, very good spring, very good offseason program, good summer, and has played extremely well all this fall camp,” Saban said. “[Dont’a has] shown really good leadership and I think that’s very, very important to our defensive team.” Senior defensive lineman Josh Chapman echoed his coach’s thoughts on Hightower.

“Dont’a, he’s a great leader, not just being a linebacker,” Chapman said. “I mean, the things he does on and off the field, he just motivates you to want to do more. It’s fun having him work behind me.”

So now, roughly two years removed from his injury, Hightower can finally step up and truly take a leadership role on the defense. Still, he won’t be the only one on this defense ready to step up and lead. He also has senior safety Mark Barron to help, as well as a plethora of talent around him, both young and experienced, which should help free up Hightower to make more plays this year. “Ever since the spring, I feel like this team has kind of come together,” Hightower said. “It doesn’t really need as much leadership. Kind of like the ’09 team, a lot of guys are older, they know how to practice, they know how to watch film, they know how to be coached. “But as far as me stepping up and being that guy on defense, I’m ready to do it.”