Name: Bryce Alley
School: Montana State University
Position: Cornerback
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 177
Q: What were some of your goals heading into your final collegiate season?
Heading into my final season, I wanted to finish my career off strong. The last 4 years have been a grind just being in Montana. We had to get a ring, we hadn’t gotten one in the last 3 seasons, so we were well over due. We also needed to make a playoff push. We knew we had a tough schedule, but we weren’t going to let that affect us.
Q: If you could describe your style of play in 3 words, what would they be?
“Do your job” would be how I would describe my play. I’ve always strived to make sure I could be counted on, especially when the game was on the line. That was kind of the motto for the defense as we knew if we could get all 11 guys doing their job, we could’ve ran with the best of them. We all depended on eachother which made everyone doing their specific job critical.
Q: How will you train and prepare this offseason for the draft or other pro opportunities?
When it comes to training for the next level, my main focus has been speed and explosiveness out of my breaks, while continuing to polish my footwork. I’ve always had speed, but I know I need to be faster to get where I wanted to go. These boys can run, so I know I can’t get left in the dust. I felt like a major weakness in my game was getting out of breaks sometimes, which is critical when trying to beat the receiver to the reception area.
Q: When you are studying film, what do you focus on or look for?
When studying film, I try to find the receiver’s trends, based off of plays, formations, splits, and location on the field (logo area, high red, low red, etc.). I was usually the guy covering their #1 receiver, so I had to be prepared to take him out of the equation. I had to know what coverage he works well in and what coverage he struggled against and adjusted my game accordingly.
Q: What separates you from the other players at your position?
I feel like what separates me from other corners is my ability to have that “next play mentality” because at corner you have to have a short memory. I also was good at communicating what I saw pre-snap to the safety and linebacker to make sure we were on the same page and coming back to the sideline and communicating with the coaches and letting them know what we’ve been seeing to keep the defense ahead of the game. There are no secrets out there on the field.
Q: What kind of strengths and abilities will you bring to a team that will stand out both on and off the field?
On the field, I’m going to find a way to get the job done. It won’t always be pretty, but that’s football. I’m going to give my all in making sure the QB has a rough day trying to throw in my direction. Off the field, I’m going to grind and earn everything I get. There are no handouts in this world, so you have to go out and make it happen. I can lead by example and be a person that young people can look up too.
Q: What is your final pitch or sell to NFL and other pro league scouts?
No matter who I may line up against, I know that person puts his pants on one leg at a time just like me. It doesn’t matter how much hype he may have, he’s going to feel me at the end of the day.
