TCU’s Alec Dunham is a ‘senior that nobody talked about before the season stepping up’

TCU linebacker Alec Dunham didn’t have time to enjoy his first career sack on Saturday. He brought down Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins on a first-and-goal from the TCU 4 early in the fourth quarter, but immediately looked to the sidelines.

Any sort of celebration would’ve been misguided with the Buckeyes knocking on the door to extend their 33-28 lead at the time.

“When you’re in a loss, I hear people saying things about the sack and I don’t even remember the sack as a highlight of the night,” Dunham said on Tuesday. “I got the sack and I’m looking to the sideline trying to get the next call. We’ve got to stop them from scoring.”

TCU didn’t. Haskins scored on a 5-yard run the next play, which sealed Ohio State’s 40-28 victory.

In the aftermath of it all, though, Dunham’s sack is a positive sign for TCU as it heads into Big 12 play this Saturday at Texas. You can never have enough playmakers on either side of the ball, and Dunham has provided a jolt early on.

Dunham is the player who scooped-and-scored on a fumble forced by Ben Banogu in the SMU game two weeks ago, and was the only TCU player to register a sack against Ohio State.

Not too shabby for a reserve linebacker who has been mostly known for his special teams skills his first three seasons with the Frogs.

“Usually, if you have a good season, you have seniors that nobody talked about before the season step up and make plays,” TCU coach Gary Patterson said. “Alec has been unbelievable in special teams. Before it’s all said and done, he’s rotating in at linebacker.”

For Patterson and TCU, it becomes a little bit of a headache on how to get the linebacker corps their fair number of snaps.

Garret Wallow and Arico Evans are listed as the starters, but Ty Summers is seeing time at linebacker and defensive end. Plus, Jawuan Johnson and Dunham are capable backups.

“It’s going to be a challenge of how we put people in, where do we play Ty at end or linebacker, who steps in, who’s going, what’s going on,” Patterson said. “All of that plays a part.”

It’s a good problem to have.

More important, Dunham is emerging as one of the leaders on a team that needs a veteran presence for a number of younger players on the team.

Patterson said after the Ohio State game that his youth-filled team had to “learn how to practice” on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday without having a half-hearted day here and there.

Dunham is a player Patterson can point to as an example for others to follow. This is a player who is interning with The Miers Law Firm this fall and is on track to graduate with a degree in criminal justice.

He gets it done in the weight room, too, with a 770-pound squat, 450-pound bench and 425-pound clean.

“At TCU, we have a different standard of practice, so Coach P is holding us to that standard. That’s what we have to do,” said Dunham, who is from Coldspring.

“I do try to take pride and try to emphasize the fact to go out every day and go hard. Do the best that I can do. I might not be perfect, but I do try to emulate that. I try to go out and be hard, be aggressive, attack the game plan, attack the day.”

It’s worked out so far for Dunham. Outside of his impact plays the past two weeks, he ranks sixth on the team with 12 tackles, including tying for the team-lead with five in the opener against Southern.

For Dunham, though, his senior season is about one thing.

“My biggest deal this year is trying to have the best season because opportunities are fading away,” Dunham said. “This is the last chance, so it’s not about moral victories or anything.”

This story was originally published September 18, 2018 at 5:55 PM.