Aug. 13, 2009
Now a senior in his fifth year at UCF, Alex Thompson (Gainesville, Fla.) is in preseason camp preparing for his final season as a college football player. Thompson has contributed both on defense as a reserve linebacker and on special teams during his UCF career, and he is hopeful he will make an impact with a talented linebacking corps this season.
In 2008, Thompson played in each of the Knights games and tallied 12 tackles. The previous season he made a career-high nine tackles in helping UCF to a road victory at N.C. State. The Bucholz High School product enters his final campaign with 32 career tackles.
Thompson and his teammates are getting set for the 2009 opener on Sept. 5 against Samford at Bright House Networks Stadium. UCFAthletics.com recently caught up with the linebacker to get his goals and thoughts on the upcoming season. The squad hits the practice field again this afternoon at 3:20 p.m.
If you want to see Thompson and the Knights in action seven times this fall at Bright House Networks Stadium, order season tickets today. For more information, call the UCF Ticket Office at (407) UCF-1000.
What was the highlight of your summer and where did you spend most of it?
"Outside of football, I didn't really do too much. I just stayed around here and lifted weights. One weekend, my family and I got a beach condo and stayed there for a couple of days. This was in Crystal Beach, near St. Augustine."
What are most looking forward to about the upcoming season and why?
"I'm just looking forward to pursuing a championship with this team. It's always good to win games and that's what we're really looking forward to doing."
Where do you think you improved on the most over the offseason as an individual?
"I got a lot stronger in the weight room. I've also been trying to work on my speed and quickness."
What do you think will be the biggest differences in the team this season compared to last season?
"We're a lot closer as a team. We're all working for each other and not individually. We're really playing together as a unit this year."
What do you think the most important part of preseason practice is in preparing for the season and why?
"The most important things are to really study the playbooks and to get every rep in, whether it be on the field or getting reps in when you're just watching. It's important to make sure you're going hard everyday."
What do you see as the keys to your team having success this season?
"The key to success is just to keep working. We can't get down when things go bad, we need to stay positive, and just keep working hard."
What will be the key to replacing Joe Burnett and the rest of the secondary from last season?
"We have a lot of guys stepping up. We've got Derrick Hallman, he's a great guy for us, and we've got some young cornerbacks coming up, and I believe that everyone is going to fill in very well.
For the defensive side of the ball and a whole and for your position group specifically, what will be the main focus or goal this season?
"The main goal for the linebackers is just to try and be the best linebackers in the conference. In terms of the defense, we also want to be the best defense in the conference."
What are your goals individually this season?
"My goal individually is to become a starter and just play the best I can."