Alexander takes pride in defensive performance Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year: Oklahoma's Rufus Alexander

By Scott Wright
Staff Writer

NORMAN — The story of the Oklahoma defense this season parallels that of Rufus Alexander.

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A rocky start, followed by gradual improvement, peaking at the top of the Big 12 Conference.

Alexander, a senior linebacker, was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Tuesday, an award voted on by the conference coaches. And while Alexander was quick to share the honor with his teammates, he still takes pride in the award.

"It is a big deal," he said. "People in a (conference) with Texas, Nebraska, people like that that have a lot of great people like that on their team. For me to get that honor over all those guys, it's just an honor to get any kind of accomplishment in the Big 12."

Alexander also was the Preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

"Usually these awards go to teams that have won a lot of games," OU coach Bob Stoops said. "We're No. 1 or No. 2 in almost all defensive categories, so I'm sure that Rufus, one of our better players, I think he reaps the rewards from the sum of everybody.

"To me, it's a reflection on the team overall."

Twenty-one Sooners made the coaches' All-Big 12 team.

Running back Adrian Peterson, offensive tackle Chris Messner, Alexander and defensive ends Larry Birdine and C.J. Ah You were first-team selections.

Receiver Malcolm Kelly, kicker Garrett Hartley and defensive backs Marcus Walker, Reggie Smith and Nic Harris were second-teamers. Eleven other players, including a second selection for Smith as a kick returner, were honorable mentions.

Alexander is the leading tackler on the Big 12's top-rated defense. He has 95 stops, just five off a second-straight 100-tackle season.

The senior from Baton Rouge, La., is trying to become the first player to lead Oklahoma tackles in back-to-back seasons since Rocky Calmus did so three straight from 1999-2001.

"I think it's a team award," Alexander said of his honor. "No one individual can go out there and take on a 300-pound guy, one-on-one, then go out there and make the tackle.

"For me to get this honor, it speaks monumentally of how our defense plays."

Previous Big 12 players of the year from OU are Teddy Lehman (2003) and Roy Williams (2000) on defense and Jason White (2003, 2004) and Josh Heupel (2000) on offense.

"Rufus kind of symbolized what our defense did throughout the year in regards to improving every week," OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. "There was a number of other playmakers that stepped up and probably took away some other opportunities for him to make some big plays.

"He was the most consistent guy we had on defense the whole year and really was playing his best football when we needed him the most. That's the mark of a great player."

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Alexander takes pride in defensive performance
Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year: Oklahoma's Rufus Alexander

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