Strong Safety Alex Kling Endures Learning Curve at SMU

[MrMustang1965]

Alex Kling knew his first season at the NCAA Football Bowl Series level was going to be a learning experience and when the smoke cleared he wasn’t disappointed.
“I thought my first season went really well,” the Belle Fourche graduate said. “It was good to adjust to the game, which is definitely different.”
Kling spent 2009 as a redshirt freshman strong safety at Southern Methodist University. Kling did not see any game action, instead spending the season as part of the Mustangs’ scout-team defense. As a member of the scout team, Kling helped prepare the Mustangs’ offensive starters for the upcoming opponent, something Kling said he took great pride in.
“I feel like we definitely help and it was a lot of work, a lot of attention to detail,” Kling said. “The scout team studied the other team’s defense and tried to imitate everything from stances to formation. I feel like did a good job of showing them an accurate look and it seemed to show up on game day.”
Indeed it did show up on game day. The Mustangs finished the season 8-5 overall and 6-2 in Conference USA’s West Division. The eight wins marked a seven-game turnaround from the season before and was the Mustangs’ best season since a 10-2 finish in 1984. SMU capped the season with a 45-10 rout of Nevada in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, a game Kling got to travel to and dress down for.
“That was a lot of fun, it was good to see the team come out and play so well,” he said. “Kind of just put Nevada away early.”
Kling, who also played quarterback for the Broncs, said it took some time adjusting to the speed of the wide receivers he covered in practice.
“One of our receivers ran a 10.2 second in the 100 (meters) in high school and the other one, Emmanuel Sanders, is going to be drafted in the third round or so. I had to go against them everyday in practice,” Kling said. “I used to be one of the fastest, if not the fastest, guys on the field in high school. It’s definitely not that way anymore.”
Kling said he was able to improve his understanding of the game during his redshirt season, something he hopes ultimately pays off with a scholarship and a starting job as a redshirt freshman next season.
“My first goal is trying to earn a scholarship and then after that would be earning a starting role,” he said. “If I can’t do that, then I would like to contribute on all four special teams.”

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/sports/ ... 002e0.html

[ALEX LIFESON]

He is Tom Maon's nephew.