Like Father, Like Son - Mike Alston Jr.
11/10/2006 12:00:00 PM | Football
Nov. 10, 2006
TOLEDO, OH - For most top high school student-athletes, the college recruiting process comes down to one basic decision: Which school will they choose?
For some, that process can be complicated if one of their parents was a star college athlete. Such was the case for UT senior linebacker Mike Alston.
Alston's father, Mike Alston, Sr., was one of the top running backs in UT history, ranking ninth with 2,180 career yards. Fortunately, the elder Alston gave his son room to make his own decision.
"He didn't really pressure me to come to Toledo," Alston said. "He left it up to me to make my own decision. He said he knew I would make the right choice because I was a Rocket at heart. When I made the decision to come to UT, he told me, `You made the right decision son,' and he congratulated me."
Like his dad, Alston starred as a running back in high school. He gained 1,131 touchdowns and scored 10 touchdowns as a senior. But the Rockets' senior sack artist wanted to make his impact from the defensive side of the ball even though he was recruited as a running back by several schools.
"I decided to play defense because I loved the contact," Alston said. "When I played running back I was more of a one-cut, straight-ahead running guy. I didn't make too many moves. My coach would tell me I could gain more yards if you just tried to avoid a couple of people. I'm more of a hit first kind of guy so defense really fit me. I liked the energy and explosion after making plays on defense."
The 6-2, 212-pounder has utilized that enthusiasm to rank near the top of the Mid-American Conference with eight sacks and 16 tackles for loss. His high level of play earned him first-team All-MAC honors last year and Defensive MVP laurels at the GMAC Bowl.
"Mike is really athletic and is our most effective pass rusher whether it's by design or just with his own athletic ability," UT defensive coordinator Tim Rose said. "He just has a knack of putting pressure on the quarterback. He's a bonafide great pass rusher."
As a linebacker in the Rockets' 3-4 defensive alignment, Alston credits UT's defensive line for much of the pressure he is able to put on the quarterback.
"I compete with the defensive line to see how much pressure we can get on the quarterback," Alston said. "We have great athletes up front and in football everything starts up front."
Alston also serves as one of the leaders of the Rockets' young defense that is growing into a strength with four freshmen - Walter Atkins, Skylaar Constant, Barry Church, Eric Heller - starting.
"I really like having the young guys out there on defense for us," Alston said. "They're hungry and eager to make plays. They want to get their names out there and I think in the future those guys are going to be recognized even more."
Alston's hope now is for the Rockets to end the season strong and win their last four games to finish with a 6-6 record. But he has one last goal before his UT career comes to a close. He'd like to show off his running ability and score a touchdown.
"I still fantasize about getting a ball back and scoring a touchdown. I've wanted to do that every since I starting playing in college. I've got a safety but I want to put up six."
- Steve Easton, Associate Athletic Media Relations Director
