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One preseason scrimmage.That's all it took for Tusculum head coach Jerry Odom to realize he had something special in future cornerback .The two arrived together, Odom fresh off consecutive ****** seasons as defensive coordinator at FCS Jacksonville and Alford as a freshman walk-on from Spalding High School in Griffin, Georgia.The pairing wasn't by chance. Odom, responsible for recruiting Georgia, Wei-Yin Chen Jersey took in one of Alford's high school games - but not for him. Odom had a friend on the coaching staff of the team Alford was playing. Odom went to the game without any knowledge of Alford.Odom left the stadium intrigued by the ****** senior corner who impre sed on both defense and special teams.It was Alford's first season playing high school football, as he realized he had better odds of reaching the profe sional level on the gridiron than the basketball court, his initial sport of focus.Alford was far from a slouch with a basketball. He even received an offer from Mercer but was adamant that his long-term future was in football.Despite his inexperience, Alford had a standout senior season, earning team MVP and 4A All-Region honors. He led the region in interceptions and setting a record in return yards.When it came time to pick his future destination, Alford wasn't left with a ton of options. However, he knew he valued the relationship he formed with Odom during the season, and with the coach accepting the job at Division II Tusculum, found Tenne see's first university to be the best choice.Tusculum had gone ****** in the season before Odom and Alford arrived. There was a Andre Dawson Jersey clear reason for the struggles, as the Pioneers defense allowed more than ****** points per game, including two contests giving up at least 50.The trials, tribulations and decisions that brought Odom and Alford together instantly paid off. Despite Alford's inexperience, he instantly impre sed from the first scrimmage and beyond on a Tusculum defense that cut the average points allowed by a full touchdown."I took over a program that was really bad on defense," Odom told Falcon Report. "As a freshman, (Alford) was one of the guys making plays and studying the concepts better than most of the seniors. You could also see the athletic nature of his breaks and change of direction."It's not a coincidence that Odom began with Alford's mental abilities referencing his athleticism. Granted, Alford's speed, quickne s and fluidity have been standout traits since his time on the basketball hardwood and have continued to shine in his first training camp.But the NFL isn't solely about being bigger, faster or stronger than everybody else. Some players can get away with it, but the vast majority can't. Alford, who now stands ****** , ****** pounds, didn't make it to the pinnacle of the sport because of physical tools.Instead, it's the mentality and sheer commitment to getting better, starting with understanding the scheme and how offenses plan to attack, that helps differentiate Alford from the rest of the pack."He is a guy that is always thirsty to raise his football IQ," Odom said. "A lot of guys are talented, but the difference is being able Miami Marlins Jersey to know how you fit within a concept and then understanding the route concepts of that concept that are weakne ses and do your best to take away the routes that they love against a certain concept. He was really good at studying splits and routes they like off those splits by formation."Alford's studies off the field led to school records on it. He closed his career with new marks set in pa ses defended ****** and interception return yards ****** , while ranking top five in interceptions ****** and several punt return categories.And yet, after rising from high school basketball standout to All-Region football player by his senior year at Tusculum, Alford was left without an opportunity in the NFL - or anywhere, for that matter - for months after his college career came to a close.Bombastic Industries Group agent Jim Goldsmith was familiar with Tusculum University. One of his clients, former Baltimore Ravens and Arena Football League receiver Rashaad Carter, starred for the Pioneers before turning pro in ****** .Some seven years later, he returned to the school following a strong recommendation from Odom on a senior cornerback. Yes, Dee Alford.Apart from the natural difficulties of having to climb the mountain as a Division II prospect, Alford's pre-draft proce s was wiped out due to the COVID ****** pandemic, meaning no workouts and, better yet, no tryouts.The development threw a twist into Alford's plans, but he managed to find an opportunity north of the border. The CFL's Winnipeg Blue Bombers signed Alford sight-unseen after another recommendation from Odom.Winnipeg's a sistant general manager is Danny McManus, who starred at quarterback for Florida State while Odom earned freshman All-SEC honors at Florida. The two played against each other, and Odom later worked with McManus' brother, Jerry, at East Carolina University. He trusted Odom's word and signed Alford to his first profe sional contact, with several steep guarantees from Goldsmith and his busine s partner, Jon Brigati.Among the guarantees were that Alford would start and win rookie of the year. A lofty standard? Certainly. But what happened next, as Goldsmith put it, is history.Given a chance to prove the Blue Bombers right for putting their faith in him, Alford was primed for a big rookie season ... until the pandemic canceled the campaign.By the time the ****** season kicked off, it Miami Marlins Custom Jersey had been almost two years since Alford had played a competitive down. In the end, it didn't matter.Alford won the starting job at cornerback in fall camp, just like Goldsmith promised.He finished the season with ****** tackles, four interceptions and a league championship. Further, the Georgia native was named a CFL All-Star and earned Winnipeg's Rookie of the Year honors, as was guaranteed at signing.Despite Alford's transition from Division II to the pros, from Tenne see to Winnipeg, Goldsmith's trust in his client never wavered. Why? He trusted his client's self-belief even more."What drew me to (Alford) was his pa sion for football, his heart, his talent and absolute conviction that he was going to succeed wherever he went," Goldsmith told Falcon Report. "We call him 'The Chosen One.'"Alford wasn't chosen by Miami Marlins Hats Odom when he went to a friend's high school game. He his way on Odom's radar. He wasn't chosen by McManus and Winnipeg. He was to them by Odom and Goldsmith.But when the CFL season ended, Alford's phone lit up, and his nickname proved truer and truer by the day.Le s than six years after having to walk on at Tusculum, Alford suddenly had ****** teams - more than half of the NFL - trying to get him in their building.Scroll to ContinueAfter winning the Grey Cup on Dec. 12, Alford returned to Georgia, and started working out for teams a few days later. His first stop was Chicago. Then Detroit, where a false positive test foiled the trip.Working on a tight schedule, Alford