From the DMN
10 things to know about Texas A&M LB Anthony Hines
Back and better than ever
In two years at A&M, Hines has seen the highs and the lows, but heading into his third year with the Aggies as a redshirt sophomore, Hines is in prime position to take over one of A&M's coveted starting linebacker spots.
Hines was limited to non-contact action this spring due to precautionary reasons while fully recovering from a season-ending injury in 2018, but he'll be fully ready to go come August.
The Aggies will need Hines' presence and experience, too. A&M will have to replace its top two tacklers from 2018 -- Otaro Alaka and Tyrel Dodson -- and Hines is a candidate to fill the void.
Sophomore setback
Expectations were high for Hines going into 2018, too, but his action was short-lived.
Hines missed A&M's season-opener against Northwestern State after suffering a lower leg injury in preseason practice and then re-aggravated the same injury against Clemson. The ongoing leg issue caused him to miss the entire 2018 season.
Still, Hines was able to use a redshirt under the new rule which allows players to play in up to four games without burning it, meaning he still has three years of eligibility remaining.
Fantastic freshman year
Hines' first season in College Station was fantastic.
He appeared in all 13 games as a key backup at linebacker and recorded 33 tackles, including six for loss with three sacks and forced a fumble.
Hines' efforts in 2017 earned him All-SEC freshman team honors. He and Jhamon Ausbon were the only two Aggies to earn those honors.
Ben Baby
✔@Ben_Baby
A&M LB Anthony Hines, WR Jhamon Ausbon named to the SEC All-Freshmen team.
3:53 PM - Dec 7, 2017
Worst or best singer on the team?
During an "Ask the Aggies" video shown at halftime last season, Hines was thrown under the bus by teammate Jayden Peevy for being the worst singer on the team.
"Anthony Hines hands down," Peevy, a defensive tackle, said.
A couple teammates stood up for Hines though, including a fellow linebacker.
"I've heard Anthony Hines a little pitch here and I thought it was pretty good," former defensive end Kingsley Keke said.
"He's the best singer on this team," former linebacker Tyrel Dodson said.
However, Hines wasn't included in the video to defend himself nor show how good or bad his pipes actually are.
Getting a head start
The spring of 2017 was full of football, football and more football for Hines.
After partaking in the Under Armour All-American Game the first week of January, Hines immediately packed his bags for College Station and came to campus a semester early as an early enrollee, one of nine 2017 A&M signees to do so.
Having the ability to be on campus an entire semester early likely aided Hines in his strong freshman season.
A local kid from Plano
Many around the Metroplex remember Hines from his high school days at Plano East.
Hines was a four-year letterman for the Panthers and posted gaudy numbers on the field. In four years with Plano East, Hines recorded 640 tackles, including 96 for loss.
In his senior year alone, Hines had 220 tackles, 133 of which were solo, five sacks and 38 tackles for loss. His final prep season earned him AP Defensive Player of the Year honors in Texas and a spot on the 6A All-State first team.
He was also SportsDay's Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. Future A&M standouts Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall earned the same honors in 2013 and 2012, respectively.
Offers, offers, offers
Following Hines' stellar senior season at Plano East, it was time to make a decision on where he would play next.
Hines could've gone nearly anywhere in the country, literally, as his father said following his commitment in Dec. 2016 Hines had over 100 offers from schools around the country.
In the end though, Hines picked A&M over a list that included offers to play at schools such as Ohio State, Florida, UCLA and Penn State where Hines took official visits to.
Hines' recruitment began in middle school, but in the end, he chose to play ball in College Station, announcing his commitment by tweeting "I'm coming home."
Anthony Hines III
✔@TheAntHines_Era
I'm coming home...
5,089
1:04 PM - Dec 2, 2016 · Plano, TX
New phone, who dis?
Because of Hines' high-profile recruitment, his cell phone was often bombarded by calls and texts by coaches and media members from schools across the country.
In a Q&A with SportsDay in Jan. 2017, Hines revealed he changed phone numbers three times during high school as a result of his recruitment.
"I've gotten calls at 1 a.m.," Hines said. "I recognize the area codes, so I know exactly which coach it is, or where the media is from. Obviously I ignored them. It's one in the morning."
The meal that might've gotten Hines to A&M
Recruiting trips are filled with pitches, conversations and persuasion by coaches and players to lure high school prospects to commit to their school.
During Hines' long and wild recruitment, he noted how much recruits get to eat during official visits. Later in the Q&A with SportsDay in Jan. 2017, Hines detailed his favorite meal as a recruit, which was at A&M, and was one that could've helped the Aggies land him.
"I had crab legs, lobster tails, prime rib, rib eye, loaded mashed potatoes, shrimp, catfish, it was literally a huge spread of quality food," Hines said. "It was unforgettable."
No more cowbell
Originally, Hines was all in for a different shade of SEC maroon -- Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs were the first school to offer Hines after he visited Starkville for a camp in June 2013, which was before Hines played a down of football in high school. On an unofficial visit to a game in Oct. 2013, Hines gave his word to then-State head coach Dan Mullen.
As his sophomore season concluded though, Hines said no more cowbell, and decommitted from Mullen and the Bulldogs on Nov. 21, 2014.
Hines' decommitment stemmed from Mullen and State pulling an offer from quarterback commit Chason Virgil of West Mesquite. Mullen offered a greyshirt to Virgil instead of a scholarship less than three weeks before he was set to graduate high school and enroll early at State. The move led Hines to stand behind Virgil, not State.
https://twitter.com/TheAntHines_Era
10 things to know about Texas A&M LB Anthony Hines
Back and better than ever
In two years at A&M, Hines has seen the highs and the lows, but heading into his third year with the Aggies as a redshirt sophomore, Hines is in prime position to take over one of A&M's coveted starting linebacker spots.
Hines was limited to non-contact action this spring due to precautionary reasons while fully recovering from a season-ending injury in 2018, but he'll be fully ready to go come August.
The Aggies will need Hines' presence and experience, too. A&M will have to replace its top two tacklers from 2018 -- Otaro Alaka and Tyrel Dodson -- and Hines is a candidate to fill the void.
Sophomore setback
Expectations were high for Hines going into 2018, too, but his action was short-lived.
Hines missed A&M's season-opener against Northwestern State after suffering a lower leg injury in preseason practice and then re-aggravated the same injury against Clemson. The ongoing leg issue caused him to miss the entire 2018 season.
Still, Hines was able to use a redshirt under the new rule which allows players to play in up to four games without burning it, meaning he still has three years of eligibility remaining.
Fantastic freshman year
Hines' first season in College Station was fantastic.
He appeared in all 13 games as a key backup at linebacker and recorded 33 tackles, including six for loss with three sacks and forced a fumble.
Hines' efforts in 2017 earned him All-SEC freshman team honors. He and Jhamon Ausbon were the only two Aggies to earn those honors.
Ben Baby
✔@Ben_Baby
A&M LB Anthony Hines, WR Jhamon Ausbon named to the SEC All-Freshmen team.
3:53 PM - Dec 7, 2017
Worst or best singer on the team?
During an "Ask the Aggies" video shown at halftime last season, Hines was thrown under the bus by teammate Jayden Peevy for being the worst singer on the team.
"Anthony Hines hands down," Peevy, a defensive tackle, said.
A couple teammates stood up for Hines though, including a fellow linebacker.
"I've heard Anthony Hines a little pitch here and I thought it was pretty good," former defensive end Kingsley Keke said.
"He's the best singer on this team," former linebacker Tyrel Dodson said.
However, Hines wasn't included in the video to defend himself nor show how good or bad his pipes actually are.
Getting a head start
The spring of 2017 was full of football, football and more football for Hines.
After partaking in the Under Armour All-American Game the first week of January, Hines immediately packed his bags for College Station and came to campus a semester early as an early enrollee, one of nine 2017 A&M signees to do so.
Having the ability to be on campus an entire semester early likely aided Hines in his strong freshman season.
A local kid from Plano
Many around the Metroplex remember Hines from his high school days at Plano East.
Hines was a four-year letterman for the Panthers and posted gaudy numbers on the field. In four years with Plano East, Hines recorded 640 tackles, including 96 for loss.
In his senior year alone, Hines had 220 tackles, 133 of which were solo, five sacks and 38 tackles for loss. His final prep season earned him AP Defensive Player of the Year honors in Texas and a spot on the 6A All-State first team.
He was also SportsDay's Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. Future A&M standouts Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall earned the same honors in 2013 and 2012, respectively.
Offers, offers, offers
Following Hines' stellar senior season at Plano East, it was time to make a decision on where he would play next.
Hines could've gone nearly anywhere in the country, literally, as his father said following his commitment in Dec. 2016 Hines had over 100 offers from schools around the country.
In the end though, Hines picked A&M over a list that included offers to play at schools such as Ohio State, Florida, UCLA and Penn State where Hines took official visits to.
Hines' recruitment began in middle school, but in the end, he chose to play ball in College Station, announcing his commitment by tweeting "I'm coming home."
Anthony Hines III
✔@TheAntHines_Era
I'm coming home...
5,089
1:04 PM - Dec 2, 2016 · Plano, TX
New phone, who dis?
Because of Hines' high-profile recruitment, his cell phone was often bombarded by calls and texts by coaches and media members from schools across the country.
In a Q&A with SportsDay in Jan. 2017, Hines revealed he changed phone numbers three times during high school as a result of his recruitment.
"I've gotten calls at 1 a.m.," Hines said. "I recognize the area codes, so I know exactly which coach it is, or where the media is from. Obviously I ignored them. It's one in the morning."
The meal that might've gotten Hines to A&M
Recruiting trips are filled with pitches, conversations and persuasion by coaches and players to lure high school prospects to commit to their school.
During Hines' long and wild recruitment, he noted how much recruits get to eat during official visits. Later in the Q&A with SportsDay in Jan. 2017, Hines detailed his favorite meal as a recruit, which was at A&M, and was one that could've helped the Aggies land him.
"I had crab legs, lobster tails, prime rib, rib eye, loaded mashed potatoes, shrimp, catfish, it was literally a huge spread of quality food," Hines said. "It was unforgettable."
No more cowbell
Originally, Hines was all in for a different shade of SEC maroon -- Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs were the first school to offer Hines after he visited Starkville for a camp in June 2013, which was before Hines played a down of football in high school. On an unofficial visit to a game in Oct. 2013, Hines gave his word to then-State head coach Dan Mullen.
As his sophomore season concluded though, Hines said no more cowbell, and decommitted from Mullen and the Bulldogs on Nov. 21, 2014.
Hines' decommitment stemmed from Mullen and State pulling an offer from quarterback commit Chason Virgil of West Mesquite. Mullen offered a greyshirt to Virgil instead of a scholarship less than three weeks before he was set to graduate high school and enroll early at State. The move led Hines to stand behind Virgil, not State.
https://twitter.com/TheAntHines_Era
