Extol Sports October 2017 | Page 21

Petrino, who is known to recruit to what he feels is a good fit for his style of play rather than “expert” rankings or star ratings. Petrino knows talent when he sees it, and so Louisville was the first school to offer Alexander a scholarship Alexander committed to Charlotte but soon changed his mind when South Carolina came calling. Alexander comes from a tight family, and they were heavily involved in his college decisions. It was said that Alexander and his parents felt like South Carolina didn’t give Alexander the love he deserved and the coaches couldn’t exactly tell them where their son fit into their plans. It was time to move on, so they moved on to the University of Louisville where Alexander was only promised a chance to compete for the starting job. He had to earn it. Alexander enrolled early in January of 2015. In his freshman year, he played in 10 games and recorded 19 total tackles, one interception, and two passes defended He also had 23 punt returns for 223 yards (9.7 yard per return average). Our DOctOrs will see yOu nOw. With board certified radiologists and state-of-the-art technology, we here at Priority Radiology want to provide you with the most accurate diagnosis possible, at a cost you can afford, and at a time that fits your schedule including evenings and Saturdays. 4.32 ALEXANDER BY THE NUMBERS While those statistics are good, they were not good enough for Alexander. He worked very hard in the offseason in the weight room as well as the film room. In his sophomore season, he burst onto the national scene when he returned a punt for a touchdown versus second-ranked Florida State with ESPN Gameday in the house. He nearly broke off a second touchdown but was tripped up short in his attempt. He told his father, Landis, that “his body locked up preventing him from scoring” on that second punt return. He later had two amazing interceptions and a forced fumble in another nationally-televised game in Death Valley versus fifth-ranked Clemson. He also had a two interception game vs Virginia. He finished his sophomore season with a team leading five interceptions, nine pass breakups, 39 tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Pro Football Focus (a website that focuses on a thorough analysis to grade every player both college and the NFL) graded Alexander as the No. 1 Power-5 cornerback for the 2016 season. Entering this season as a junior, expectations of his performance have been raised by everyone, including Alexander himself. He again has worked hard in the off-season and has become faster. He was clocked with a 4.32-second 40-yard dash. Along with those expectations come talk of skipping his senior year and entering the NFL draft. Alexander is ranked as the No. 19 draft prospect in 2018 by ESPN’s Mel Kiper. Landis praised his son and said that he has remained grounded and focused despite all the awards and attention. He also said if his son is not projected as a first- or second-round pick at the end of the 2017 season, he’ll return to Louisville for his senior year. •MRI-HIgH FIeld, open BoRe •CT • peT/CT •deXASCAn • 2d/3d dIgITAl MAMMogRApHY •UlTRASoUnd •dIgITAl X-RY •ARTHRogRApHY•JoInT ASpIRATIon 19 807 Northgate Blvd, New Albany, IN 47150 priorityradiology.com | 812.949.0807