Dre Kirkpatrick
Encyclopedia
D'Andre "Dre" Lawan Kirkpatrick (born October 26, 1989) is an American football
player. He is a junior cornerback
for the Alabama
Crimson Tide
. Kirkpatrick was rated as one of the top high school defensive backs in the country
. Kirkpatrick draws comparisons to New York Jets
defensive back Antonio Cromartie
.
and Kendall Kelly. He completed his senior football season in the fall of 2008. Kirkpatrick participated in the 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
& the 2008 Alabama Mississippi All-Star Football Classic, where he was recorded at 6 ft 2 in and 180 lbs
.
Kirkpatrick played his final three high school seasons at Gadsden City (35 games) and finished his career with 193 tackles, 17 interceptions, three returned for a touchdown, 36 pass breakups, two sacks, one punt return touchdown, one kick return touchdown and a one receiving touchdown. After completion of his senior season he was awarded as the ASWA 6A back of the year as well as a first team all-state defensive back for the second consecutive year.
Entering February 2009, Dre Kirkpatrick was one of the most highly rated and sought after high school football recruits in the country, having been awarded a 5 star rating (the maximum) by national recruiting outlets Rivals.com and Scout.com.
. As the recruiting process started to wind down, he narrowed down his possibilities to three schools: Alabama
, Texas and Florida
. On February 4, 2009, Kirkpatrick ended months of recruiting, committing to the Alabama Crimson Tide
on National Signing Day
, as he announced his decision live on ESPNU
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. He is a junior cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
for the Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
Crimson Tide
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
. Kirkpatrick was rated as one of the top high school defensive backs in the country
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Kirkpatrick draws comparisons to New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
defensive back Antonio Cromartie
Antonio Cromartie
Antonio Cromartie is an American football cornerback for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers 19th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft...
.
High school career
Kirkpatrick played his high school career at Gadsden City High School in Gadsden, Alabama, where he was a teammate of fellow Crimson Tide players Jerrell HarrisJerrell Harris
Jerrell Harris is an American football linebacker. He currently attends the University of Alabama in his senior year. Harris was an All-American in high school and is considered one of the better outside linebacker prospects of his class....
and Kendall Kelly. He completed his senior football season in the fall of 2008. Kirkpatrick participated in the 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
& the 2008 Alabama Mississippi All-Star Football Classic, where he was recorded at 6 ft 2 in and 180 lbs
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
.
Kirkpatrick played his final three high school seasons at Gadsden City (35 games) and finished his career with 193 tackles, 17 interceptions, three returned for a touchdown, 36 pass breakups, two sacks, one punt return touchdown, one kick return touchdown and a one receiving touchdown. After completion of his senior season he was awarded as the ASWA 6A back of the year as well as a first team all-state defensive back for the second consecutive year.
Entering February 2009, Dre Kirkpatrick was one of the most highly rated and sought after high school football recruits in the country, having been awarded a 5 star rating (the maximum) by national recruiting outlets Rivals.com and Scout.com.
Recruitment
Being one of the top prep players in the country, many teams sought Kirkpatrick's signature on a National Letter of IntentNational Letter of Intent
The National Letter of Intent is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating NCAA colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manages the daily operations of the NLI program while the Collegiate Commissioners Association provides...
. As the recruiting process started to wind down, he narrowed down his possibilities to three schools: Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
, Texas and Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
. On February 4, 2009, Kirkpatrick ended months of recruiting, committing to the Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
on National Signing Day
National Signing Day
National Signing Day most commonly refers to a day in February, usually on the first Wednesday of that month, which is the first day that a high school senior can sign a binding National Letter of Intent for college football with a school that is a member of the NCAA, the main governing body for...
, as he announced his decision live on ESPNU
ESPNU
ESPNU is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced by, affiliated with and owned by parent network ESPN. ESPNU originates out of ESPN Regional Television's ESPNU (often referred to as The U) is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced...
.