Before starring on the gridiron for Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide, defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson was a serious talent on the mat. The McDonaugh, GA, native became the first heavyweight in Georgia history to win three state titles at the weight and finished his outstanding prep career with a record of 169-2.

Watch Tomlinson pick up a nine-second fall in the state finals as a senior: 


At the NFL combine, Tomlinson credited his football success to his wrestling background.

"I think it helped me out a lot because wrestling is a big sport of leverage," he said. "You have to know how to control the person across from you, and playing interior defensive line you have to play a lot of double teams, a lot of big people leaning on you and pushing you different ways, and I feel like it helped me become a better defensive lineman because I had a wrestling background."

In his senior year with the Crimson Tide, Tomlinson racked up 62 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble, and four batted passes. Tomlinson is projected to go in the third to fourth round of the NFL draft, which begins Thursday and ends Saturday.

Check out Tomlinson's senior-year highlights: