Humility isn’t a common trait in sports. A lot of athletes need only slight provocation to beat their chests.
Oklahoma linebacker Rufus Alexander isn’t in that group, even though a little chest beating is warranted.
Wednesday, the senior was named the Associated Press Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. The award came a day after he collected the same prize from the Big 12’s coaches.
“This is overwhelming,” he said. “Just to get recognized is something, because there are a lot of great players in the Big 12. Then I am on a team with a bunch of great players, so this is a tremendous honor.”
But one that shouldn’t be a surprise.
Alexander has been the linchpin of defense that finished atop of the Big 12 in just about every statistical category. It was first in scoring defense and total defense, and no worse than second in any defensive statistic.
“Usually these awards go to teams that have won a lot of games,” Sooner 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.”
Nebraska quarterback and former Norman High standout Zac Taylor was named the offensive player of the year. The eighth-ranked Sooners (10-2, 7-1 Big 12) face the 19th-ranked Huskers (9-3, 6-2) at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Big 12 championship game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
Perhaps the awards were given because both are standouts on the conference’s two best teams.
But Alexander stood out among standouts.
The fan-favorite has 95 tackles this season and could become the first player to lead OU in tackles in back-to-back seasons since Rocky Calmus did in three straight years from 1999-2001.
He also joined Calmus (2000), Roy Williams (2001) and Derrick Strait (2003) as defensive players of the year.
Alexander has a similar resumé to those former All-American defenders. This year’s award marked the third straight year the Baton Rouge, La., native has received Big 12 postseason accolades. He was a second-team honoree in 2004 and was a consensus first-team selection last year. He was also this season’s preseason defensive player of the year.
But he doesn’t understand what he’s done that ranks ahead of the rest of the defense. Defensive ends C.J. Ah You and Larry Birdine were also first-team selections by the coaches.
“That is why I don’t understand why I am the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year when we have guys like that on the team,” Alexander said. “They go out and make a ton of plays. Give credit to those guys, because they require a double-team and (defensive coordinator Brent Venables) comes up with great schemes allowing me, ‘Bird’ and C.J. to come out there and make big plays.”
But defensive coordinator Brent Venables sees why Alexander was singled out. In a lot of ways, Alexander’s play was a mirror image of the rest of the team.
“Rufus kind of symbolized what our defense did throughout the year in regards to improving every week,” he 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.”
Whether or not Alexander believes it isn’t a debate he’s willing to have.
“I don’t feel I am the best,” he said. “I feel there is a lot of things I can work on and a lot of things that I can do better. If that is how people feel then I accept it, but I promise to stay humble.”
John Shinn366-3536jshinn@normantranscript.com
OU Sports
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Rufus Alexander named Big 12's top defender
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