Jon Alston is Being Prodded

The NFL scouting combine is under way in Indianapolis. Players hoping to be drafted by pro football teams are out through rigorous workouts, psychological evaluations and sometimes-humiliating medical exams. They’re evaluated like livestock. Some of the best college players refuse to participate. They know they will be chosen early in the draft and feel as if they have much more to lose than to gain by enduring the process. The best of the rest try to have a good attitude about it. Most of them are imbued with confidence because of the success they’ve enjoyed on the football field. I have a rooting interest at the combine: Jon Alston from Stanford, a linebacker.
During my decades covering high school sports, a monosyllabic response to a routine question was a common event. I live with a couple of teenagers right now, so I understand that talking with a reporter can be pretty intimidating. In fact, just two weekends ago, a writer from the local newspaper approached my 16-year-old son for his impressions of an event he was attending. He did manage to string a few syllables together. But, when the story was published, his pithy comments were not included. That’s probably because he didn’t make any. After his brief interview, he said to us, “that was awkward.” This is an eloquent kid, so that comment was a little surprising. It was also illustrative.
This brings us back to Alston, who was an absolute pleasure to cover when he was in high school at Loyola College Prep. He was an outstanding athlete who played both ways on the football team. He was a remarkable student. He met Stanford’s academic standards and got a full ride to play football, and those things speak for themselves. Alston had a quality about him that caused him to stand out. He was poised, confident, and well-spoken. He had direction. I did a radio talk show for about ten years, and in all that time I had just one high school athlete on as a live, in-studio guest for a full hour: Jon Alston.
When you think about the highly-sought-after athletes who have come out of north Louisiana high schools, that’s pretty remarkable. When you get right down to it, they all start to sound pretty much the same. They want to play hard and make their coaches and parents proud. They’ve narrowed their college selections down to five schools, and they’ll make a decision after they make all of their visits. Rarely is new ground broken in an interview with a high school kid.
Alston was different. He was politically and socially aware, well beyond his years. He was thinking of a career in politics, and knew that anything he said or did, even in high school or college, could come back to bite him. He set out to live an exemplary life. I lost track of his activities after he left for the west coast, but I haven’t heard a bad syllable about him over the last five years.
I don’t know if Alston has a future in pro football, or not. I suppose the combine and a subsequent training camp will answer all the questions. The last time I spoke to him, he told me he hopes to run for President of the United States one day. He might just do it. He might just win, who knows? He looked me in the eye and promised me that, if he moves into the White House, he would have me over. I’ll take him at his word.
He’s being examined, poked and prodded in Indianapolis. Maybe this is just another way for Alston to prepare for his Presidential bid. More likely, it’s just another stage in the personal and professional development of a remarkable young man.

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