Alex Briones rediscovers his why, dominates at Pro Day to increase NFL chances
Alex Briones squatted until his bottom nearly hit the ground, paused for a few moments and unleashed all his energy into the broad jump.
9 feet 1 inch.
"You measure that right?" Briones asked the scouts taking numbers.
During the months leading up to Central Michigan Pro Day on March 14, Briones was jumping 9 feet 8 inches and 9 feet 9 inches at AdvantEdge Sports in Marquette, Michigan.
But besides his broad jump performance, there wasn't much Briones could complain about. He registered 24 reps on bench press, had a 32-inch vertical jump and showed off his fluidity in the on-field drills.
"It's a great experience to come out here and perform in front of scouts," Briones said. "There's a lot of pressure, but confidence is key. I think I performed pretty well all around."
Realistically, the odds are against Briones, just as they have been for his entire life.
That hasn't stopped him.
Briones came to CMU from Ishpeming High School in 2014 as a quarterback under former coach Dan Enos. When former coach John Bonamego showed up a year later, the youngster from the Upper Peninsula made the switch to linebacker.
He also has his why, also known as his purpose. Briones plays for his older brother, Derrick Briones, high school coach's son, Daniel Olson, and high school teammate, Marcus Antilla – three key influencers in Briones' life that died during his football journey.
Even though Briones already knew his why, it was rediscovered throughout his time training for Pro Day at AdvantEdge Sports.
"It touched me differently training for Pro Day because this is what my whole life is for," Briones said. "I've been playing my whole life, and it's been my dream to play in the NFL. It's a different emotion coming in here.
"I learned a lot being away to train. You find out your why. You think you know it your whole life, but when it's just you training, your why is what gets you up every day."
Losing friends and family along the way while making a position change, Briones finally found his place on the field as a redshirt freshman linebacker in 2015 before becoming a starter the following season.
Central Michigan linebacker Alex Briones speaks with reporters at Pro Day on March 14 at Turf Bay in the Indoor Athletic Complex.
In 11 games as a senior, the 6-foot-2, 228-pound collegiate veteran made 63 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble. Malik Fountain, Briones' fellow linebacker, led the Mid-American Conference with 153 tackles.
Briones was forced to be an all-around player at the weak-side and strong-outside linebacker positions, rather than someone like Fountain who continuously packed the box. Due to this, Briones didn't earn as many tackles as he would've liked.
"I was playing Will and Sam every game, moving in and out of the box," Briones said. "I just wanted to come in here and show my stuff. I'm an athletic linebacker. We'll see if they think I'm good enough for the NFL."
Of all Briones' on-field characteristics, he believes his top traits are opening up and getting to the ball by maintaining loose hips – a rarity for a linebackers nowadays.
In his CMU career, Briones registered 199 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, three interceptions, three passes defended, three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.
There haven't been many from the Upper Peninsula to make the NFL, of which the tiny sample size includes Kingsford's Dave Manders, Newberry's Rob Rubick, Houghton's Chuck Klingbeil, Calumet's Hunk Anderson, Marquette's Bill Rademacher, Newberry's Len St. Jean, Menominee's Billy Wells and Bessemer's Ray Ebli.
Klingbeil was the last of the group to play in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins in 1995 – his final season.
Looking back at the past, Briones understands the rarity of a kid from the Upper Peninsula making it to the highest level of football.
Nobody has entered the NFL from Ishpeming.
"The story would be crazy," Briones said. "I can't remember the last time someone has gone Division I or to the pros out of there, so it would be huge for me with all the hard work I put in. It'd be a testament to where I came from.
"The whole UP is on my back wanting the best for me, so I appreciate that. It's nice coming from a small town when everyone rallies around you."
