Former Bainbridge High School Bearcats All-Region 1-AAAA defensive back Rohan Gaines, who started at free safety as a redshirt freshman with the Arkansas Razorbacks this season, has been named to the SEC’s all-freshman football team and Fox Sports Next.com’s first team freshman All-America team.

Gaines, the son of Maurice and Lorettta Gaines, played both football and basketball in high school and was the 2010-2011 Bainbridge High School male senior athlete of the year.

During this past season with the Razorbacks, Gaines had 75 tackles — 46 solo and 29 assisted. He also broke up four passes, forced two fumbles and had one quarterback hurry.

Gaines credits his parents, his high school basketball coaches Ricky McCullough and Kelvin Cochran, Bearcats offensive coordinator Leonard Guyton, and teacher and former Bearcats quarterback Dr. Joe Sweet Jr., with being his role models.

“My parents, coaches and Dr. Sweet always taught me that academics come first,” Gaines said, during a recent visit home. “My philosophy, which I learned from them, is that nothing great ever occurs without hard work and determination.”