NC Florida News

The newest member of the Florida football team understands what it takes to win.

On Wednesday, the Gators officially added Alabama transfer Damieon George Jr. to the roster. A 6-foot-6, 339-pound offensive lineman, George has enrolled in spring classes and has two years of eligibility remaining.

George was part of three consecutive championship teams: back-to-back state championship teams at North Shore High in the Houston area in 2018 and '19, and then as a college freshman, Alabama's national championship team in 2020.

George announced in late November that he had entered the transfer portal after playing limited snaps for the Crimson Tide last season. George signed with the Gators after reportedly visiting Ole Miss.

He was high school teammates with Rebels star running back Zach Evans, who has declared for the NFL Draft. At one point, Evans said he and George were a "package deal" when they were teammates at North Shore and leading the Mustangs to back-to-back Class 6A-Division I state championships.

In the 2019 state championship game at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, Evans did not play after being suspended for violating team rules. That did not stop George and the offensive line from dominating the game in North Shore's 31-17 win over Duncanville. George's blocking paved the way for Roger Hagan and Dematrius Davis to each run for more than 100 yards.

While George committed and signed with Alabama – Texas, LSU, Georgia and Oklahoma were others in the mix – Evans initially signed with Georgia, was released from his NLI, played two seasons at TCU, and spent last season at Ole Miss.

Meanwhile, George's most significant season at Alabama was in 2021, when he played in 12 games and started three at right tackle, including the Iron Bowl against Auburn. George traveled with the Crimson Tide to face the Gators that season but did not play in Alabama's 31-29 win at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

George was rated a four-star offensive tackle prospect by ESPN.com out of high school and the 48th overall recruit from Texas in the 2020 signing class.

He played for well-respected North Shore coach Jon Kay, who has built North Shore into a state powerhouse. The Mustangs have won five state championships since Kay took over in 2014.

North Shore is located in a blue-collar, industrial section on the east side of Houston, comprised primarily of economically disadvantaged students.

According to a recent story by HoustonPublicMedia.org, based on the 2020-21 academic year, 83.7 percent of North Shore's student population is considered economically disadvantaged. Its student body is 70.3 percent Hispanic, 23.8 percent African American and 3.7 white.

Kay, before a loss to rival Duncanville in last month's state championship game, told HoustonPublicMedia.org that his program has been successful because of the players' drive to succeed and perhaps attain a better life than they have known growing up.

"I think you're kidding yourself if you don't feel like these kids in both of these communities are faced with some challenges that not every community is faced with," Kay said. "I think sometimes that's used as an excuse for these kids not to reach their fullest potential, whether you're talking about athletics or in life. I think you've got two groups of kids that have proven otherwise, and I think that's pretty special, and I hope that people realize that." 

Original source can be found here.