Quote:Stallworth commits to East Carolina
June 25, 2011
By BUDDY HUGHES
The Brunswick News

Brunswick High offensive lineman Dominique Stallworth will play his final season for the Pirates this year. After the year, Stallworth will still be a Pirate, just an East Carolina Pirate.

The rising senior became the latest Brunswick player to make his future football plans known when he verbally committed last week to play at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C.

"The way they work hard and how motivated they are to win (drew me to East Carolina)," Stallworth said. "I liked that."

Stallworth was a first team all-region selection as a junior. Pirates coach Victor Floyd described Stallworth as "an upper-level offensive lineman" with the "potential to be really good at the next level."
"He's got all the tools -- he's 6-foot-3, 280 pounds with a 7-2 wingspan, really strong and athletic."

Brunswick High has become a hotbed of Division I football talent since last summer. Stallworth joins an impressive list of Brunswick players to sign or commit to Division I programs. Rising senior wide receiver Demetrius Frazier verbally committed to play at Louisville in May.

Former Pirate defensive back Justin Coleman committed to Tennessee last summer and enrolled early at the school in January. Coleman went through spring practice and impressed coaches with his performance in practices and the spring game.

In February, former Brunswick linebacker Shakir Robinson became the first Pirate athlete to sign an athletic scholarship with the Naval Academy. Former Brunswick defensive back Darius Slay also signed with Mississippi State in February after two years at Itawamba Community College.

Stallworth will be heading to an East Carolina team coming off a 6-7 season in 2010 and a 51-20 loss to Maryland in the Military Bowl. East Carolina was 5-2 in its first seven games before closing the season on a 1-5 slide.

Stallworth will be playing for head coach Ruffin McNeill, who Stallworth described as "intense."

East Carolina plans to play Stallworth at left guard. The lineman said his skill sets fits the position well.

"I stay on my blocks and don't let anybody run over me," Stallworth said. "My strength and how I move my feet (are the best parts of my game). I'm working on finishing my run blocks."

East Carolina runs a spread offense, something Stallworth is familiar with after playing under Floyd's spread offense at Brunswick.

Having his college decision out of the way will allow Stallworth to focus on his senior season for Brunswick. That was not necessarily the plan, but Stallworth was happy with the way the recruiting process worked out.

"The opportunity came up and I wanted to take advantage of it," Stallworth said.

Brunswick is coming off an 8-4 season last year. The Pirates lost to Starr's Mill 42-34 in the second round of the Class AAAA playoffs last year. Stallworth said the Pirates are aiming their sights higher this year.
"We've got to stay focused and keep working hard," Stallworth said.