You could say that Bears defensive tackle Alfonso Boone took the road less
traveled on the way to a successful 7-year career in the National Football
League.
Well, maybe you can't call it a road. It was more along the lines of a
meandering trail or a path. Because he certainly didn't reach his goal with
ease.
The highly likable big guy with an easy-going nature and deep laugh played
football for Mt. San Antonio Junior College for two years before enrolling at
Central State (Ohio) to continue his collegiate football career in hopes of
playing professional football. But he left after a semester before
ever playing a snap of football there after the school decided to drop it's football program.
Talk about hitting a major bump.
Boone entered the NFL Draft in 2000 and as the final picks were being handed to the
Commissioner, it appeared that he would have to hope for an opportunity as an
undrafted free agent -- until the Detroit Lions selected him with the
next-to-last pick in the 7th-round.
He made the practice squad as a rookie and spent the first 11 games there
until he was plucked off the squad by division rival Chicago. Boone was added to
the Bears' active roster for the final 5 games and he's been there ever since;
contributing at multiple positions, wherever the team needs him. His philosophy
about football is simple.
"It's all fun to me," he told Scout.com this week. "I'll play
any position you want me to play; I just want to play."
But as he finishes his seventh season in the NFL, is football as much fun for
Alfonso Boone as it was during his rookie season?
"Yeah, especially when you're winning," he said with a hearty
laugh.
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| Alfonso Boone sacks Detroit QB Jon Kitna (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) |
The 6-foot-4, 318-pound defensive lineman has been a starter some seasons and
a valuable member of the rotation even when he hasn't started. And he's been a strong mentor to a group of relatively young defensive tackles that the Bears have added in recent years.
Entering the regular season finale against the Packers on Sunday night, Boone has 105
tackles, 10.5 sacks, 7 pass deflections, and a forced fumble during his 82-game
career. And he's established a solid reputation for being an impact player even
against the league's top runners.
"My best work is in the run game, so that's probably where I help the
most," he said.
Lining up at the Bear's under-tackle position in head coach Lovie Smith's
Tampa 2 defense, Boone's job is to be a disruptor, get upfield and cause
trouble.
"Simple to say, but hard to do," he said. "But that's pretty much
what you're supposed to do, just be extremely active out there."
And he certainly knows how to do that. Returning to the starting lineup three
weeks ago when the team lost Tommie Harris for the year due to injury, Boone
stepped in to do his part to help his team continue their winning ways. Last
week against the Lions, he registered his second sack of the season.
"Our role is just to get up the field," he explained. "And I
got up the field, and I think the guard didn't come down but the center came
over. But I beat him to the quarterback, so I ended up getting the sack."
Boone will become a free agent at the end of this season and should certainly
draw some interest from other clubs who could use a versatile, big-bodied
defensive tackle who could bolster their run defense. And with a strong showing
in the playoffs, his visibility and offseason value should rise even higher.
But for now, the Bears defensive lineman is focused on helping bring a Super
Bowl trophy to the team and the city that has provided him with a great NFL
career to date. Boone will continue to work hard and enjoy this moment, the
opportunity to be a starter again during this Super Bowl run.
"You get to play football again, that's the way I see it," he said.
"You know it's hard to replace a guy like Tommie, but you've just got to do
the best you can."