Virginia Tech-bound senior Dewayne Alford won’t be the first college football player in his family. He has an uncle who played running back at Savannah State, and this same uncle has provided his nephew with a preview of what to expect on the next level.

“He told me about the physicality of the college level,” said Alford, a star defensive end at Nansemond River High School (Suffolk, VA). “He told be about the faster style of play, the toughness, the size and the speed.”

Alford has accepted a grey-shirt opportunity at Virginia Tech, so he won’t enroll in Blacksburg until January of 2012. He’ll have time before his freshman season arrives, and he plans to use the extra time wisely.

“I think grey-shirting will be a positive thing,” he said. “I’ll have more time in the weight room, to get down on the stuff I need to work on. I could possibly put on more weight. I can work one on one with a trainer. I can get more agile and be in better shape, so when I’m at Virginia Tech it won’t be too hard of an adjustment.

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