William Alexander
William Alexander preparing for the draft | |
No. 84 – Honolulu Hahalua | |
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Position: | Wide Receiver |
Personal information | |
Born: | Denver, Colorado, U.S. | April 24, 2014 (aged 48)
Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
Weight: | 240 lb (109 kg) |
Career information | |
College: | Oregon State |
ISFL Draft: | S22 / Round: 5 / Pick: 49 |
DSFL Draft: | S21 / Round: 5 / Pick: 40 |
Career history | |
Roster status: | Active |
William James Alexander (born April 24, 2015) is an American football wide receiver for the Honolulu Hahalua. He played college football for the Oregon State Beavers. He was drafted 40th overall in the S21 DSFL draft by the Minnesota Grey Ducks and 49th overall in the S22 NSFL draft by the Honolulu Hahalua.
Contents
Early years
William James Alexander is the older of two sons of Catherine Alexander, a pharmacist, and James Alexander, a biologist.
William soon discovered his love for all kinds of sports and spent most of his free time outside with his brother Marcus and their cousins. He played football, baseball and soccer for his local high school. Despite his undeniable athletic ability he didn't get much attention as a teenager due to his small frame. As a senior in high school Alexander went through a growth spurt and coaches took more notice of his talents. He received some scholarship offers as a baseball player but decided he wanted to play football. Although quite far from his hometown of Denver, Alexander decided to attend Oregon State.
Although he was born and raised in Colorado, Alexander grew up as a fan of the Orange County Otters, thanks to his uncle. His brother Marcus, two years younger than William, plays as an outfielder for the Colorado State University Rams.
College career
Freshman Season
Alexander didn't get much playime in his freshman year. He was mostly used as a tight end but since he hadn't gotten used to his new physical capabilities and lacked the required strength, he struggled for most of the season, only playing in four games, recording six catches for thirty yards and one touchdown.
Sophomore Season
After spending most of the off-season building up some muscle and working on his blocking, Alexander became the second string tight end. He was mostly used as a red zone target and caught two touchdowns during his limited playtime. Due to a series of injuries to the team's wide receivers, Alexander spent the latter half of the season as a wide receiver, a role in which he excelled, showcasing his good hands and agility for a player his size. He started six games, getting thirty receptions, 526 yards and scoring four touchdowns.
Junior Season
Alexander and his coaches decided to make the switch to wide receiver permanent in the off-season. With a combination of his speed and physical abilities, Alexander managed to score twelve touchdowns and put up 1,198 yards. Alexander declared for the DSFL draft after the season.
College career statistics
Receiving | |||||||
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Season | Team | GP | Rec | Yds | Avg | Long | TD |
2033 (S18) | OS | 4 | 6 | 30 | 5 | 8 | 1 |
2034 (S19) | OS | 12 | 42 | 590 | 14.0 | 18 | 6 |
2035 (S20) | OS | 12 | 71 | 1198 | 16.9 | 25 | 12 |
Professional career
Ht | Wt | 40‑yd dash | 20‑ss | 3‑cone | Vert jump | Broad | BP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
240 lb (109 kg) |
4.54s s | 4.11s s | 6.57s s | 35.5 in (0.90 m) |
124 in (3.15 m) |
18 reps |
He was picked 40th overall by the Minnesota Grey Ducks, the fourth wide receiver off the board.
Season 21
Alexander spent his DSFL rookie season on a Minnesota Grey Ducks team that relied heavily on the running game, even for DSFL standards, thanks to the quality of their three running backs. After one touchdown and 133 yards in the preseason, he started the regular season as the number one receiver for the team, playing most of the team‘s offensive snaps. He had an up-and-down season with 50+ yard games often alternating with those, in which Alexander hardly received the ball and was a non-factor on the field.
Despite his struggles Alexander led the team in receptions (41) and yards (502) and recorded the 9th most yards in the DSFL. He had his statistically best game in a week 8 loss against the Tijuana Luchadores in which he recorded four receptions for 64 yards and his only touchdown of the season. The Grey Ducks went 6-8-0 and missed the playoffs this season.
While he showed promise as a receiver, Alexander had some problems with dropped balls, dropping 34 catchable balls, almost the same number as his receptions. He also had some problems drawing bad penalties that showed a lack of anticipation and football IQ.
When asked in a pre-draft interview leading up to the NSFL draft what he focused his training on the most, Alexander responded "Hands and speed. I gotta get better at getting separation and catching the balls that are thrown my way." It was rumored that Alexander changed his diet with the help of a nutritionist, cutting down his junk food and soda consumption, to become faster and more agile.
Season 22
Alexander was picked 49th overall by one of the two expansion teams, the Honolulu Hahalua, in the Season 22 NSFL draft. It was decided that he would be called up to the NSFL right away.
Professional career statistics
Receiving | |||||||
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Season | Team | GP | Rec | Yds | Avg | Long | TD |
2036 (S21) | Grey Ducks | 14 | 41 | 502 | 12.2 | 25 | 1 |
Achievements and records
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