Douglas Quaid was a late bloomer. He had a successful high school career relying on his physical attributes primarily. Coming out of high school he was not a heavily recruited prospect by the top NCAA programs. Teams saw him as a very raw defensive end and outside linebacker hybrid type of player. The 247 recruiting website had him as a three star level prospect. He had some offers from division 1 schools out in the western United States such as BYU, Nevada, and Utah State. Quaid ended up staying in his home state and signing with Utah State. He did not like the weird culture over at BYU. As a freshman Quaid made his name on special teams, he was also the first LB off the bench. On kickoff coverage Quaid would pursue the ball carrier like a heat seeking missile. When he made tackles there was a sickening thud that echoed throughout the stadium. By his sophomore season he had earned a starting linebacker spot and never looked back. Quaid was a big athletic kid that started mentally processing plays faster and faster. Good schemes by the coaching staff helped Quaid capitalize on his athleticism and make high impact plays. He improved exponentially and ended up winning the Butkus award (NCAA’s top linebacker) as a senior. (217 words)
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