Middle Creek's Alan Mendoza pays back his family through "extra effort"
"It's the danger zone right here," Middle Creek linebacker Alan Mendoza said as he lined up for a blitz in practice. Once the ball is snapped, Mendoza screeches off the line.
"Way to go Alan!" some of his teammates yelled.
When Mendoza isn't talking trash, he's sharing knowledge. The senior missed most of last season due to injury and has been putting in a lot of extra film work that's translating to the field.
"I took that personally in a way to make this my best season ever," Mendoza said.
Hard work defines Mendoza as a football player and a person. The extra work he puts into the mental side of the game, he does in the weight room as well.
"Talk about a kid who is just an all around program guy," Middle Creek head coach Andrae Jacobs said. "When I got the job Alan was a sophomore, little stiff guy. I think that's one of the biggest transitions I've seen with him developing as a football player. He is the strongest kid in our program right now."
Mendoza can bench 300 pounds, squat 500 and dead lift 525 with straps.
"He went from being a big bulky kid to being a very athletic kid," Jacobs said. "He wrestles, he runs track, makes all A's and B's."
Mendoza credits his work ethic to his parents, who moved to America from Mexico. His father works as a paver now, but Mendoza said his father has been working since he was seven years old.
"I've always imagined myself being something big as a way to respect my dad," Mendoza said. "Saying thank you for giving me all that you have, show that it paid off in a way."
As a first generation American, Mendoza takes his responsibility to his family seriously, especially as a role model to his younger brother Edwin.
"Show him a good way to start your life off, have a good work ethic in school and off of school," Mendoza said.
Edwin plays on Middle Creek's JV football team. Mendoza serves as a big brother to that entire team as an intern coach.
"He's constantly trying to give back to the program," Jacobs said. "He comes to every JV game, he supports these guys in other sports, supports these guys in the hall way. The younger guys look to him as an inspiration."
Mendoza's accomplishments on the field and in the classroom earned him WRAL's Tom Suiter Extra Effort Award.
"Whatever he does he's going to be great at it," Jacobs said. "I don't think there's anything that he's not capable of doing."
