Interview with one of California’s best sleeper recruits DE/OLB Tim Newman

One can make the assumption that San Juan Hills High School standout Tim Newman can cut a rug because when he is on the field he is absolutely cutting the turf. The 6’2”, 230 pound, defensive end as an array of moves and a motor that just will not quit giving the impression of an intricate dance with every snap of the ball.

Whether Newman is doing a swim move, a spin move, a stunt, slant, or just flat out bull rushing a left tackle he is finding his way to the ball. Upon completion of his junior season the two-year starter had 81 tackles, 42 of those stops were solo efforts, remember he’s a defensive end not an outside or middle linebacker. The great numbers do not stop there. He had 14 quarterback hurries and dropped the QB nine times. His 81 helmets put on the turf was a team-high.

Newman showed off his athleticism and willingness to hit anyone in an opposing jersey by lining up at fullback and tight end, sometimes playing the hybrid H-back. He caught two passes for 14 yards, and of course ran one of those in for a touchdown.

The San Juan Hills roster was filled with young players leading to a 4-7 record last season. The lumps taken in 2014 should spell trouble for opposing California high school teams in 2015.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview I caught up with Tim to find out more about one of California’s best sleeper recruits in the 2016 recruiting class.

 

Tim, the Stallions were 4-7 last year, how will the tough 2014 campaign translate into an advantage for the team in 2015?

“We had a lot of younger and inexperienced players. It gave everyone a taste of what we really needed to do to compete. We moved up a league last year. It was a much harder schedule. It really let us know what we have to do. We’ve been working hard to know where we have to be to compete and to have a great season this year.”

How does the team look going into the 2015 season? Do you think you guys will be a playoff team?

“Yes, I do, definitely. I feel like this year will be a standout year for San Juan Hills. There are only like a few spots that we are not filling. There are a lot of guys that have been tuned in and really know what they have to do. We have a great QB in Patrick (Patrick O’Brien) that is leading the offense. We have some great guys on D. Hopefully I can do my part to really establish myself on offense and on defense to win some games.”

What are your strengths on the field as a defensive end?

“I’d say – I feel like I have a lot of different moves that I am able to use. If I want to use speed or if I want to use power, its almost effortless – few times I have come across a guy where its hard for me to get through and put pressure on the quarterback. I also feel like I can play at any position on the field. Wherever coach needs me he can just put in for that series or that play and I can go make a play.”

I’ve seen you drop back into coverage and play without a hand on the ground. Are you comfortable playing linebacker?

“Yes, definitely, I feel comfortable at linebacker. It was kind of a debate between defensive end or linebacker. I love playing both. I feel like I can make all the plays at both. Our coach really liked how I can use my hands and put pressure on the quarterback. That’s why I mostly played at the D-end spot.”

You use a lot of moves getting to the quarterback, what are some of your favorite moves?

“I like push-pulling a lot. I like using spin moves, spin and swim. The back and forth, juke and go inside. That gets me some success.”

Earlier you mentioned you rarely have trouble cracking the code on an offensive tackle. What is your process to winning your battle on Friday nights?

“I’ll have a good understanding of him from film. When it comes to game time it’ll take me a series to figure it out. I can tell what he’s doing. Is he setting back really fast or is he slow off the line. I just develop it from there. Maybe I’ll do a couple of bull rushes to see if he’s ready to pound. I just figure stuff out from there. After that first series I have my guy figured out and I am able to excel from there.”

Did you earn any individual honors at the end of your junior season?

“I got First-Team All-South Coast League and my school’s MVP award.”

What are your goals for the 2015 football season?

“I want to put my team in the best position as possible to compete in all of our games. I want to be a leader on the team and get everyone to do what the team needs to do to win the game. Personally for my goals, I want to compete every down. I don’t have a specific number for sacks or tackles. I just know that I need to have the best game I’ve ever had every game and that’s what I am going to try to do.”

You were all over the field last year. Will we see more of you on offense next year at fullback and tight end?

“Yeah, definitely, last year it was one of the first years on offense my coach wasn’t as zoned in for me to go on offense. He really wanted me to do the best on could on defense. Now I know I can handle both positions and I have the playbook down. I’ll be starting at both.”

Will you play more of the H-back or as a hand down on the ground fullback in a traditional I?

“I would say more hybrid. I’ll move all over the field, I might be off the tackle, I might be in the I, or on the end. Some plays I maybe out there in the slot. I feel like I am very versatile for that and there are a lot of spots where I can go on the offensive side of the ball.”

From the defensive end position what was your best game last season?

“Definitely, I would say El Toro. I had, I don’t exactly remember the stats. I know I had three strip sacks for fumbles. I had over 10 tackles that game. It was one of my best games and it was against a team that made it a couple of rounds into the playoffs. They were a very high level team. I’m very proud of that game.”

Which schools are showing interest in you right now?

“Dartmouth, Brown, UC Davis, Montana, Montana State, Cal Poly, USD (San Diego), and Northern Arizona. Those are the schools I talk to most. Harvard and Yale coaches have come down. A Wyoming coach has come down and talked to me at my school. Those schools are showing the most interest calling me or coming down to watch practice.”

What are the coaches telling you they like about your game?

“They’re always telling me they love my film and that I have a great motor.”

What will influence you in the college you choose when the time comes?

“The biggest will be the education level. Personally I want to get into a school that I would not be able to get in without having football with me. I want to be somewhere where high education is a standard. Location is important too. I’d say the top one is education and the highest level of athletics.”

What one-day college camps are you going to this summer?

“I know that I’m going to some of the Ivy League schools, probably the ones showing me the most interest, on the east coast. And then a San Diego State camp, a Stanford camp, a Berkeley camp, and then later on probably just the schools that I am interested in and that are showing me interest.”

Which Ivy League school camps do you plan to attend?

“Dartmouth, I’ve been in contact with their coaches and their head coach (Buddy Teevens), and also Brown.”

What have you been doing in the offseason to prepare for the camps and for your senior season?

“We workout at school everyday and we condition everyday. Outside of school I go to a training facility called Sports Science Lab. It’s great. It works on my explosiveness and speed. Basically everything I need for football. I go there three to four times a week.”

When you watch football on Saturdays and Sundays are there any players you watch to try to learn more about the game?

“When I watch football, I’d say not too much. When I watch football I normally just watch my position, and take those skills and use whatever moves they do from whatever team because they’re all at the highest level. Whatever they are doing is top notch and will help my game.”

What has been your most memorable moment playing high school football?

“That’s a hard one. It was actually from my sophomore year, it’s one of my favorite plays. I was playing D-end, 4^th and 1 with a minute left, against Fountain Valley in the playoffs. First time the school has been in the playoffs. They have to get one first down, 4^th and 1 I tackled their quarterback for a loss on a quarterback sneak they were trying to do. That was one of my favorite plays.”

What is your favorite part of playing football?

“I’d say competing is my favorite part. I love being physical and being able to hit people for fun.”

 

College coaches around the country hoping Tim slips through the cracks and into their hands will not be happy after reading this interview. Exposure for Tim is their enemy but long overdue for the San Juan Hills talent. Right now Tim is a prototypical weakside defensive end who could play outside linebacker at the next level. His skill, size, and abilities are deserving of Division-I recognition. A comparison for Newman would be former Arizona Wildcats lineman, later New England Patriots linebacker, Tedy Bruschi.

He has the size, speed, and strength beyond most of his peers and a lot of collegiate freshman at his position. Tim reports a bench max of 320 pounds and a squat max of 410. Adding to the resume of the Southern California talent is his academic work. There is a reason Ivy League schools are interested in him. He has a 3.75 GPA and scored a 24 on his ACT.

 

Written by Ryan Wright

Photo credit: hudl.com; No. 2 Tim Newman