Oxford (Ala.) head football coach John Grass has coached his share of great high school football players.
Kwon Alexander is the top defensive
recruit in Alabama and handled the
recruiting process flawlessly, said
his coach.
Photo by Tom Lemming
He admits few have displayed the tenacity, work ethic and humility that senior linebacker
Kwon Alexander has shown.
Alexander, t
he No. 31 national prospect overall in the Recruiting Class of 2012 according to MaxPreps/CBS recruiting expert Tom Lemming.
Lemming rates Alexander the top linebacker prospect in the nation.
With 133 tackles as a sophomore and 147 as a junior, Grass is predicting even better numbers for the 6-foot-3, 215-pound outside linebacker this season as the Yellow Jackets battle to reach the Class 6A Super Six state finals at the University of Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium next December.
The top linebacker prospect in Alabama and rated by some recruiting services as the top outside backer prospect in the nation was making stops from sideline to sideline in a 34-24 win over powerful Carrollton, Ga., last week as Oxford opened its season with an important win.
"Kwon played really well in our season opener, "Grass said. "He had 10 tackles and got to the football real fast. Kwon is really maturing as an athlete as he gets older and is at the top of his game right now. He is a quiet kid who leads by example.
"He can also express himself, but he does his leading by his work ethic. He always comes to play. I have had more vocal leaders, but even they had to lead by example sooner or later. Kwon can do both. He's just a quieter kind of guy."
And he's quietly taken care of the frantic, highly-public world of recruiting.
"I am really proud of how he has handled all the attention," Grass said. "It is much more than it used to be. I don't see how Kwon could be handling it any better. He has remained humble, something I always stress to my players, has remained a team player and is setting a very good example for the other recruits we have on our team. They see him keeping things in perspective and it helps them do the same."
Alexander is one of several prospects on this year's Oxford squad.
The largest school in Calhoun County located near the Alabama-Georgia border just west of Atlanta and just east of Birmingham, Oxford is a team rich in tradition but hungry for a state championship.
The Yellow Jackets won Class 5A state titles in 1988 and 1989 and sent several players to Division I schools including then quarterback Jason Jack to the Crimson Tide.
Since then, Oxford has moved up to Class 6A and lost its legendary head coach Robert Herring, who won his 100th game as a coach in Mississippi, his 200th game as Oxford's coach and his 300th as the head coach at Newnan, Ga.
Since his departure, the Jackets went through at least three head coaches before luring Grass from Hoover's Spain Park High School.
"Coach Grass is like a father figure to me," said Alexander, who lists his dad as his major influence and his biggest fan. "Coach tells me to keep my head on straight. I have a lot of respect for him."
Grass, who coached former New England Patriots receiver Chad Jackson at Hoover High School and current Florida senior William Green at Spain Park, has made an immediate impact on the program – and on Alexander.
"He has played some running back, could play receiver, but I think outside linebacker is the perfect fit for Kwon," Grass said. "He's got a hitter's mentality. We work him on offense too, but he didn't get any snaps on offense last week. I told him we want him to get at least 10 snaps on offense this week and every week that follows."
But when push comes to shove, Alexander is right at home at outside linebacker.
"(That) is where he will make his mark at the next level," Grass said. "He is a prototype outside linebacker. He has the speed to cover in passing situations and can rush with the best of them. He's just a kid who goes all out all the time.
"I remember his very first game he played linebacker for us. He had 17 or 18 tackles. Kwon is just a natural for the position. He has great instincts. He's so explosive. He sees the ball and then can go get the ball. There's no doubt. Kwon just plays the game with a certain intensity."
Lemming says Alexander is unquestionably Alabama's No. 1 defensive player, noting his remarkable Nike SPARQ numbers: 4.51 in the 40-yard dash, 4.2 in agility shuttle, 33.8 inches in verticle jump and 40.5 in power ball toss.
"He's a defender who can run with the backs," Lemming said. "He impresses you with his overall game, makes plays from sideline to sideline, is an effective pass rusher and also does an outstanding job when dropping back into the passing lanes."
{VIDEO_79f5fc2a-3383-418f-bba6-e012f33983d1,floatRightWithBar}Even more impressive considering Alexander just turned 17 last month.
"He's still got some growing to do," Grass said. "He weighs about 210 or 215 right now and is going to get bigger and faster."
He is one of several prospects on this Oxford team including his close friend
Trae Elston. Both agree to wait until National Signing Day before they make their final choices public.
Alexander said he quit counting college scholarship offers at more than 40 – including two dozen offers after his sophomore season. He told his coach he would trim his list to five or six prior to his senior season and has been true to his word.
Juggling offers from all the major powers, he announced his list of six finalists last week: Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Miami, Oregon and Florida State.
"He's decided to take five recruiting visits, but he keeps it all low key," Grass said. "I don't think he realizes just how good a player he really is and can be. Being humble is one of his best qualities I think. I put a lot of emphasis on that.
"He has been a good example for our program. Some coaches tell me they wouldn't want to deal with all the hoopla that comes with having a top recruit like Kwon, but I don't see that as a problem. Kwon keeps it all in perspective as good as anyone I have ever been around."
Grass said Alexander leads by example – in games, practice and off the field.
"He plays with a lot of energy on the field," Grass said. "He's not much of a talker. The team just feeds off his hustle and effort. His teammates like and respect him."
Alexander is known across this football crazy state simply by his simple moniker "Kwon."
With Alabama and Auburn among his favorites, he is certain to keep the state's ardent college football fans in a frenzy until he makes up his mind. He's the subject of discussion in every "down home" restaurant in just about every Alabama town.
He has teased the fans a bit by wearing an Alabama Crimson Tide shirt on an unofficial visit to the University of Florida and again to last year's Oxford High School signing day ceremonies for their 2011 grads.
Elston has garnered almost as many offers already as Alexander.
Monte Bass and
Coty Spurling are also likely headed for a Division I college destiny.
Spurling, a defensive back, has offers from Memphis and Southern Mississippi with keen interest still coming from Alabama, Arkansas State, Florida State, and Wyoming. The smaller but faster Bass has offers from some smaller schools but is still getting interest from Georgia and Tennessee.
"Wherever I go I'm going to have to work for everything," Alexander told The Birmingham News. "Even if I go to Alabama, I'm going to try to beat out someone for a position. If I go to Auburn, someone may come in the next year wanting to beat me out for a starting job."
He hails from a state that has produced some of the NFL's top defensive players including Demarcus Ware, Demeco Ryans, Rolando McClain, Nick Fairley, Karlos Dansby, Adalius Thomas, Justin Tuck and Kerry Rhodes.
Former NFL linebacker greats such as Dolphins' famed "Captain Krunch" Mike Kolen, All-Pros Cornelius Bennett, Dave Edwards and Leroy Jordan also are from Alabama. Alexander appears on course to take a similar path.
In the meantime, he will continue to do what he does best.
"He will make a lot of tackles for us this season," Grass predicts.
