|
Concord senior RB DuWhan Alford scores a touchdown. (WSBT Photo) (November 8, 2012) |
What makes Concord running back DuWhan Alford so good?
"First of all, it's just size," Minutemen coach Tim Dawson said. "The good Lord has blessed him with size."
At 6-foot-1, 240 pounds, Alford casts an imposing presence.
"I know every Friday night, I have an advantage because of my size," Alford said. "I keep the mentality (that) I'm dominant. You're going to have to deal with me for 48 minutes of football."
But there's more to it than that.
"He's got size and speed -- prerequisites in football -- but you still have to be able to use those things," Dawson said. "When he gets going, he's hard to bring down. And a lot of that is the investment he's made in the offseason."
Since starting high school, Alford has packed on 40 pounds of muscle in those offseasons. He's one of those weight room warriors. He lifted every day this past spring and summer.
But that wasn't all. He also did a specialized training regimen three times a week.
"Agility stuff, anything you can possibly think of, I was doing to get ready for the season," Alford said. "In high school football, everyone's lifting weights. So if you want to be better than other kids, you have to do things that other people don't do."
And that's before even talking about all the other things that make him special.
"Great student, he's a great citizen, and great teammate," Dawson said. "He loves Concord football, he's made that investment, and he feels an obligation, a responsibility to his teammates. And those are the things that separate great athletes -- great team athletes -- that you want. He's got the whole package, and that puts a smile on my face."
And the ball in the end zone.
