Running back Willie Alderson brings special element to UI football
By Courtney Warner Argonaut Staff Writer
Photo by Nic Tucker
Inside any phone booth, mild mannered Clark Kent becomes Superman. At night, millionaire tycoon Bruce Wayne transforms into Batman. The same superhuman powers apply to Idaho running back Willie Alderson every time his foot touches turf.
Proof of this was given on Idaho's first play of the season against
University of Washington this year. Alderson ran untouched for
82 yards, putting the first score on the board for Idaho.
"That play seemed so weird. The night before the game I
was picturing what might happen, and when it did, it was almost
eerie," Alderson confessed.
Accrediting fate with the touchdown more than himself, (in the
nature of a true superhero) Willie is the epitome of modesty.
As a small-town boy graduating from Nampa, Idaho, in 1996, Willie
was recruited heavily by several schools. A memorable week in
Alderson's senior year was when he visited the campuses of the
Universities of Idaho, Montana, and Nebraska. Montana seemed
too small for him, and he seemed too small for Nebraska, but
he felt Idaho was a "perfect fit."
He came to the UI, first and foremost, with the goal of graduating.
Aside from academics, he was clearly grateful for his scholarship.
"I didn't care where they put me position-wise on the team,
I just wanted to be successful at what I did," Alderson
said.
Redshirting as a freshman, Alderson has worked his way into running
back and receiver positions, although he played only running
back in high school. In his sophomore season he began to make
the biggest impact for the Vandals when he was moved to receiver.
He finished the year with 419 yards on 31 receptions for an average
of 13.5 yards per catch. His numbers were the third best on the
team that won the Big West Conference and the Humanitarian Bowl
championship.
In his junior year, Alderson balanced the role of running back
and receiver but didn't seem to get much playing time. When asked
if he felt that past Head Football Coach Chris Tormey was ignoring
a potentially great scorer on the team, Alderson was once again
humble.
"I wasn't necessarily forgotten, but I was kind of on the
sidelines in the shadows. I was a little disappointed because
I'd had a good sophomore year and I wanted to make an impact
last year. But I accepted the role I had. Last year kind of pushed
me to work harder this summer for my senior season," Alderson
said.
His hard work hasn't gone unnoticed. Tom Cable, head coach, considers
Alderson a "big-time weapon".
" The guy who's the ace-in-the-hole for us is Willie Alderson
because he can do a lot. We can use him in the backfield or he
can go out and play receiver," Cable said.
Willie's versatility seems a key component in his success on
and off the field. Ironically, before he came to Idaho, his focus
was more on basketball. He decided midway through high school
it would be much harder to be a 5'11" point guard in college.
He diverted his focus to football, hoping for a college scholarship.
By his senior year he had earned the title of Idaho's A-1 Player
of the Year after racking up 1,415 yards rushing and completing
22 touchdowns.
Anything he puts his mind to seems possible for Alderson. He
believes there is only so much you can do physically, the rest
you can practice mentally.
"The game brings the motivation upon itself. If you're not
up for that, then you're doing the wrong thing. I find if you
think positively, you can get more focused, the more the level
of intensity rises in a game," Alderson said.
"As far as performance goes, I think it's all a matter of
accountability. In order to be successful we must have faith
in each other. We lose and win as a team," Alderson said.
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