Rufus Alexander, Northeast
The first thing Rufus Alexander had to learn when joining the Northeast coaching staff was how to talk with the kids.
Alexander says his football mentors were always yellers. Playing for guys like former OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables, you had to take the criticism and learn to get better.
Alexander thrived under that kind of coaching, earning Associated Press All-American honors as well as being named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.
“The way I learned in college is different from the way kids learn these days,” Alexander said.