The 6-foot-1, 240 pound Alaeze helped the Poets to an 11-2 record in 2009.  He was apart of Dunbar’s state basketball title team before choosing to play football at Delaware State of the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference (MEAC).   Over the past two seasons, Dunbar has sent over a dozen athletes to play college football at the Division I level.

He plans to major in forensic science and has lofty dreams for his future.

VSN: What schools did you consider during the recruiting process and why did you choose Delaware St.?

The schools I considered during the recruiting process were New Mexico, Akron, Towson, Old Dominion, Maine, James Madison, Rhode Island and the whole MEAC. I chose Del State because I felt most comfortable there.  I love the campus lifestyle and the football program is on the rise.  I want to be great, I felt that I could show that by bringing an average program to the top and that’s my plan.

VSN: You’ve been at Delaware State for a couple weeks now, has it been tough adjusting to college life?

It’s been a little tough adjusting to things.  Waking up at 6 a.m. is pretty tough, but I manage. Doing that daily is kind of hard, you’ve got to actually want this and be hungry because these college workouts are intense as ever.  But I’m staying with FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) All-American DT Andre Carroll, so he keeps me in check and helps me through with things.

VSN: What kinds of things have you done since you’ve been on campus to get ready for the season?

Since I’ve been on campus I’ve been working out and training daily Monday through Friday.  I also do 7-on-7 with the team to try and keep my linebacker skills up-to-date just in case they decide to move me back to linebacker since I’ll be playing both this year.

VSN: You’re apart of the next wave of Dunbar football players to move on to the next level, talk about Poet Pride and how Dunbar helped you as a player.

It feels great to be apart of the Dunbar Alumni.  It feels like I’m really apart of an important piece of history in Baltimore City.  Everybody is watching us. Dunbar is the face of the city right now, so for those there now and those who graduated, everybody is watching our every move. The alumni at the school love and support me; I keep in contact with them from time to time. Dunbar was bigger than just football for me.  It was an opportunity to start over a fresh path in my life, it was tough at first but the alumni base and the coaches kept on me and pushed me.  “Poet Pride” means everything to me, it’s more than just a phrase to me that we say when we break; it’s a passion that I get while saying it.

VSN: How excited are you that the season is getting closer?

I’m really excited about the season coming closer and closer.  I have an app stored in my droid (cell phone) which counts down the exact times all the way up to millisecond until training camp and the first game of the season.

VSN: What are your goals, expectations for your freshman season?

My expectations for freshman year are actually high. I’m projected to start this season, so I’m aiming for 10 sacks and to win MEAC Freshman of the Year Award as well as First Team All-MEAC. It may seem like a lot to ask for but since I was little I’ve had a confidence that can’t be broken nor shattered.  I feel that I’m the best player on the field, no matter how large the talent pool is out there.  I feel like no baller can check me and that’s how I’m going to carry things forever.

VSN: Which NFL player would you compare yourself to?

A player in the NFL that I compare myself to the most is James Harrison from the Pittsburgh Steelers. I feel like my style of play is just like his. I’m great with rushing the passer and against the run but I can also drop back into coverage and run with a lot of smaller players than me.

VSN: What are three words your friends would use to describe you?

Three words that my friends would use to describe me are confident, ambitious and outgoing.

VSN: What is something that most people probably don’t know about you?

Something most people don’t know about me is that coming into high school; I had hoop dreams of playing in the NBA.  I didn’t like football as much as I did basketball. But as I grew up watching my brother Melvin dominate players across the country, I started to like the sport more and wanted to be just like him.