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College Scout (Southwest)
An NFL player for seven seasons, Alonzo Highsmith is now in his 10th year on the Green Bay Packers' college scouting staff, maintaining primary responsibility for the Southwest region.
Named to his current position by then-Executive Vice President/General Manager Ron Wolf on Feb. 1, 1999, Highsmith originally had entered the professional ranks as the third overall pick in the 1987 NFL Draft by the then-Houston Oilers, behind only college teammate Vinny Testaverde (Tampa Bay) and Cornelius Bennett (Indianapolis).
The 43-year-old Highsmith began his pro career by playing three seasons in Houston (1987-89), starting 40 straight games with the Oilers. Following offseason knee surgery, he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys prior to the 1990 season.
He was with Dallas for a season-and-a-half before being waived by the Cowboys on Oct. 4, 1991. Claimed by Tampa Bay, Highsmith spent the remainder of his pro career with the Buccaneers. Due to a series of knee injuries, he retired from the NFL at the end of the 1992 season.
Highsmith's NFL totals include 65 games played, 283 rushing attempts for 1,195 yards (4.2 avg.) and seven touchdowns. He also made 42 receptions for 428 yards and three TDs during the course of his pro career. After the conclusion of Highsmith's NFL career in 1992, he turned his sights to boxing. As a professional boxer, he competed as a heavyweight across the country, compiling a 27-1-1 career record over a four-year period.
Earlier a four-time letterman (1983-86) for the University of Miami (Fla.), Highsmith was a member of the 1983 Hurricanes squad which captured the collegiate national championship with a 31-30 triumph over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. As a sophomore in 1984, he led Miami in rushing - 146 carries for 906 yards (6.2 avg.) - and repeated that feat during his senior season, gaining 442 yards on 105 attempts (4.2 avg.). Highsmith graduated in 1987 with a degree in business administration.
Highsmith was the 1982 Florida high school 'Defensive Player of the Year' as a linebacker at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, where he was a teammate of former Alabama head coach Mike Shula. A three-time letterwinner for the school's basketball team as a guard, Highsmith also competed in the 100- and 200-meter races in track for three years.
Born in Bartow, Fla., Highsmith and his wife, Denise, are the parents of two children, Alonzo Jr., 15, and Jordan, 14. He and former Houston Oiler Bubba McDowell operate www.nationalrecruiting.org, a Web site that allows high school athletes to post stats and game film for free. The site, serving 16 sports, lets coaches use a wide range of criteria to scout athletes. Highsmith resides in Missouri City, Texas, and enjoys playing golf in his spare time.