DEARBORN — When it comes to impressing college scouts in a quest for a scholarship, the off-season combines are maybe just as important as the actual football season, if not more.

And now, after an impressive performance at the UnderArmour/scout.com Combine in Cincinnati, Ohio, Ali Alaboody of Dearborn Fordson could be on his way to earning a college scholarship.

Alaboody, who will be a senior during the 2008-2009 football season and plays running back, was one of the top performers at the combine, which tests players on their abilities in front of scouts.

He was named runner-up for MVP honors at the Cincinnati combine that features top high school football players in the Midwest, as he finished in the top five in four events.

Alaboody finished fourth among all players in the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.41 seconds, third in the shuttle with a time of 4.10, first in the broad jump at 10-feet, four-inches, and first in the vertical leap with 38.5 inches.

When asked why he performed so well, Alaboody gave most of the credit to the coaching staff’s new approach to training.

“Part of it is genetics but we have a really good strength and conditioning program here,” he said. “Tuesdays and Thursdays we do a lot of explosive movements and we also run a lot so I think that’s where most of my explosive ability comes from.”

Under Fouad Zaban, the head coach who arrived in 2007 at Fordson, the workout program changed from mostly upper-body stuff to more running and explosive leg exercises.

They also changed the offense to make it more wide-open in spread formations instead of power-running formations.

Alaboody likes both of the changes.

“The other coach (Jeff Stergalas, now a Dearborn High assistant) was more into upper body but everyone knows football is pretty much all your legs. With the old thing we pretty much benched like three times a week but when you come off the line that won’t help.”

He also likes the new offense because it lets him showcase his receiving skills out of the backfield and gives him more room to use his speed. Alaboody splits carries with fellow running back Hassen Amen, who is more of a power back.

Both are important to the team, but when the Tractors were forced to play in the second round of the playoffs last year against Livonia Franklin without Alaboody, the offense suffered as Fordson lost, 20-8. Alaboody broke his ankle the week before against Taylor Truman.

Two months of rehab later, he has reclaimed his speed and explosiveness and is looking forward to a senior season to remember.

“We’re very motivated going into this year because there’s nothing good about losing.”

Alaboody’s main focus as a player is the team’s success, but he also has his own future to worry about. Luckily for him, however, he has someone older and wiser to worry about the details for him.

Mohammed Ali Hamid helps Alaboody and his Fordson teammates in their quests for college scholarships. Hamid is a cousin of Mohamed Moukdad, one of Fordson’s top players from last season, and he has made it his personal mission to get the attention of colleges to advance the careers of Fordson’s players.

Hamid drove Alaboody and four other Fordson players down to the combine in Cincinnati and talks to college recruiters often about the kids.  Hamid does it because he knows that certain kids from certain areas don’t get the exposure that others do and he wants them to grow up with the confidence of knowing they can play college football if they set their minds to it.

“I put the kids out there, that’s all I can do. Like the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink,” said Hamid.

Hamid’s odyssey began with a trip to San Antonio with Moukdad, who wowed scouts at the combine as a sophomore. From there, he began taking more and more kids and college recruiters started telling him they wanted to help any way they could. They were impressed with the kids’ humility and acknowledged the stereotypes that exist when colleges look for the so-called “prototypical” college football player.

“I just want our kids to go to school because I’m sick of the stereotypes,” said Hamid. “We have four kids that can potentially play college football,” he said, adding that he didn’t want to bring up the stereotypes but had no choice.

Anyone who’s seen Alaboody play could tell you without a doubt that he’s one of them. He racked up 727 yards rushing and had 220 yards receiving last year for the Tractors while also starting as the kicker and a cornerback on defense.

But without the help of Hamid, who knows if anyone would have taken notice.

Hamid praised Alaboody’s abilities and said that it’s very likely that he’ll play in college if he keeps his grades up; and he also called him a better person than a player who always puts family and schoolwork first.

Alaboody was just as complimentary of Hamid, as he stressed many times that he wanted to thank both him and the Dearborn Fordson Booster Club for their support.

Of course, if Alaboody manages to earn a college scholarship, that might be all the thanks Hamid will ever need.