Daily Pilot Football Player of the Week, Alvin Nguyen: Taking his

turn

Barry Faulkner

Alvin Nguyen played basketball and football his first two years at

Costa Mesa High. But, being all of 5-foot-7, 155 pounds, logic dictated

he give one of those up.

Bucking conventional wisdom, however, Nguyen hung up his high tops,

hit the weight room and begin the monumental task of convincing varsity

football coaches he was more than a sideline accessory who chipped in on

special teams.

“Alvin has had to wait his turn,” Mesa Coach Jerry Howell said of his

unexpected two-way standout, who made the most of his first start at

tailback last week.

“As coaches, you have concerns sending a kid who is 150 pounds out

there. But Alvin just comes through. When he’s on defense, he really

tackles well and he runs extremely hard at running back. He’s just a

tough kid who gets the job done.”

Nguyen’s duties included 33 carries for 139 yards and one touchdown,

as well as a strong showing at outside linebacker, one of four defensive

positions he has played this fall. His contributions helped key a 17-14

Pacific Coast League win over Laguna Beach. They also earned him Daily

Pilot Player of the Week laurels.

“Sometimes I pretend I’m a big guy,” Nguyen said. “But being my size

helps push me. I try to go as hard as I can in practice.”

Practice and the junior varsity games were about the only chances

Nguyen had the last two seasons. After an injury-plagued sophomore

campaign, he rushed for more than 1,000 yards on the PCL champion JV team

last fall. He also started at outside linebacker and was named the junior

varsity MVP.

But, despite this track record, Nguyen was relegated to role player on

offense the first six games. He did carry 33 times for a remarkable 350

yards (10.6 per carry) and seven TDs, but it wasn’t until sophomore Keola

Asuega sprained his foot in practice that Nguyen was awarded the featured

role.

While awaiting his turn on offense (he did start one game at

fullback), Nguyen busied himself as a versatile defender. He started at

outside ‘backer, end, and even played some cornerback and safety, before

settling recently into his preferred spot at outside ‘backer.

“I was fine with whatever the coaches wanted,” Nguyen said. “Whatever

was best for the team.”

This attitude, as much as his performance, has earned the respect of

his teammates and coaches, alike.

“When we had some disciplinary problems with one of our captains a

couple weeks ago, some seniors came to me and asked that Alvin be named a

captain,” Howell said. “I’ve never had players do that before.”

Now a captain, the soft-spoken Nguyen said he has become more vocal.

But the inspiration he renders to those around him has little to do with

verbiage.

“He just likes to play the game,” Howell said. “If we needed him to go

play left tackle one game, he wouldn’t ask why. He’d just go line up and

do the best he could.”

If Nguyen has one criticism of Mesa coaches, it’s that they don’t run

the players enough.

“I run on my own every Sunday night,” he said. “And if we have a light

practice during the week, I usually go to the gym to ride the bike and

run the treadmill.”

Though quick and aggressive, his physical talents are generally

considered as underwhelming as his size.

“I’m not sure whether he has a lack of moves, or it’s just that he

doesn’t like missing (tacklers),” Howell said.

Nguyen, who began in Pop Warner as a seventh-grade offensive guard and

middle linebacker, agrees it isn’t as much style as substance which helps

him succeed.

“I guess I’m a little bit of a power back and a slashing back,” said

Nguyen, who also believes hiding behind bigger blockers is a proven

technique. “I like hitting people and I like offense more than defense,

because you can score touchdowns.”

Nguyen cut back for a 44-yard TD late in the third quarter against

Laguna Beach, bringing the Mustangs from behind to even their PCL record

at 1-1. Among his other TDs are jaunts of 61, 44, 40 and 19 yards.

And he doesn’t miss basketball a bit.