Another Stroud is on the horizon

Doug Stroud(OT, Evangel Christian, LA) - Many Rebels fans remember the name of John Stroud, the former All-SEC forward who helped Ole Miss to an SEC Conference Championship.There is another Stroud on the horizon, but John's nephew prefers to mow down defensive linemen, instead of puting the ball in the basket.

But there is one thing that both Strouds have in common, and that is winning championships, as Doug has helped Evangel Christian to two Class 5A State Championships during his career at Evangel Christian.



Player Info:

Height: 6' 7"
Weight: 350
40 time: 5.41
Bench: 335
Squat: 505
vertical:19"
Grades: 3.6 GPA

From: Shreveport, LA
High School: Evangel Christian (1A)

The following information was revealed during our interview with Doug Stroud:

What are your strengths on the field? "I play in a passing offense. That is my strength, pass blocking. When I line up, I read the defenses before they even snap the ball. I take good angles and I am fast enough to pull the LB's and DB's."

What do you most need to work on? "My techniques. That is the only way to get better. I also need to work on staying lower. I am so much bigger than anybody else in high school, but in college, it should work to my advantage because I will be playing against people my own size."

How did your season at Evangel Christian go last season? "We won State. But we were kicked down from 5A to 1A this year. All of the schools voted to move us down because we only have 300 students, and they are tired of us beating them all of the time. But, our first three games are good ones. We play Springdale (AR), Longview (TX), and Texas High."

Were you graded last year? "No sir, they did not even keep up with our pancakes. They just tell us to beat our man. But, I was graded against Springdale (AR) last year, and they had me at 89 or 90%."

Did you garner any awards? "I was named All-City and All-District."

Have you attended any football camps this summer? "No sir, I did not have a chance to go to any because we are watching our money. I did save enough for me and my dad to visit (unofficially) Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, and Notre Dame."

Which colleges are you hearing from the most? "The most, Michigan, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Alabama, and Ole Miss."

Any offers? "Michigan and ULL."

Which coaches have stood out so far? "Coaches Fred Jackson and Moller from Michigan. Coach Jackson recruits this area and Coach Moller is their offensive line coach. I also like Coach Wick at Oklahoma State."

Which colleges are now at the top of your list? "I would say Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Alabama, and Ole Miss."

What attracts you to Ole Miss? "My family lives in New Albany (MS), which is only 10 miles from Ole Miss. My dad, uncle, my cousins, just that whole side of the family went to Ole Miss. I go hunting in the Oxford area all of the time. I grew up rooting for Ole Miss. I do not know. I am just really trying to find a place I fit in. I just like it up there."

Is Ole Miss recruiting you as hard as the other schools? "Not as much as Michigan, Nebraska, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State. They are showing the most interest. Alabama and Ole Miss are just two schools I grew up liking."

When I say Michigan; what jumps out? "They produce great lineman (laugh). They just have a good program. They are consistently in the Top 10. I want to play for a team like Evangel Christian, where they work hard for everything they get. That is what they do, work hard, year in and year out."

What are Nebraska's positives? "They also have great lineman. They have a new offense. They are going to pass the ball more now. It is going to be 50/50. I really like the passing teams because that is what kind of offense I have played in my whole life. I do not want to change offenses."

Texas Tech? "Their offense is just so overpowering. They throw the ball so much, that their RB's are going to get 15 yards a pop. It would be fun to play in an offense like that."

What about Oklahoma State? "I did not think too highly of Oklahoma State until I went up there on an unofficial visit. I got to see what all they are doing and everything they are about to build. They are like a big family. I feel like I really fit in with their program and team. Their offensive line coach is a cool guy too. I like them a lot."

What are Alabama's positives? "I went up there with John Bell to see Zach Schreiber play in their Spring game. Their fan support is amazing. Their whole home side of the stands was full. All of their press boxes were full. I just like the support they get. Everyone from Evangel is big on support because everyone in this area wants to see us lose."

Do you see yourself committing early? "No sir, I am going to take all of my official visits first. I do not want to take away from my team with a bunch of distractions from recruiting."

What will you look at when you are trying to make a decision? "Really, it will mainly be about their religious beliefs. I want to go some place where I will not be tempted. I want to be in a strong Christian place. And my academics, I am going to major in Prosthetic Orthotics. There are not too many places that offer my major, so that is going to really narrow the field down. Football wise, I want to be in a big family environment who have strong Christian beliefs. I also do not want to sit until my junior year or anything."