Still, there were those who doubt Alexander's speed. In fact, to this day it is one of the knocks against him. And while he is modest about it, those who saw him play will tell you he has plenty of speed.
"Shaun has football speed," Thompson said. "I read somewhere that he was timed in the 40-yard dash at 4.6 over the summer. That doesn't surprise me. But in a game, nobody catches him."
"I remember a game his senior year against Elder," recalled former Recorder sports editor Chris Gramke. "He broke through the line (of scrimmage) and there were four or five linebackers and defensive backs closing in on him and he ran away from all of them. It was a 51-yard run and what made it so impressive is that it seemed he covered the distance in a split second."
His speed was clearly evident in the Orange Bowl. It was there on Jan. 1, 2000 that the Boone County graduate, who led Alabama to a No. 8 ranking in the final CNN/SO College Football poll and a 10-3 record (in 1999), rushed for 161 yards on 26 carries and three touchdowns.
Stay tuned for Part 6.
This article is reprinted with permission from the Florence Recorder
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