FEATURED: Alec Dunham
10/12/2018 1:49:00 PM | Football
By Kennedy Harvey, TCU Athletics Communications Intern
When asked one thing people should know about Alec Dunham, he responded by saying, "I won't quit. I'm a fierce competitor." This has been demonstrated in many aspects of his life, as Dunham is a player who embodies everything a student-athlete stands for.
"I try to utilize all of the resources TCU has to offer," said Dunham. "Time management, things like that are important, but (being a student-athlete) is not as hard as people make it out to be. Just got to get things done. We need deadlines. Deadlines really help."
Through his secondary education, Dunham took classes during the summer and became an early enrollee at TCU going into the 2015 season. Dunham accomplished this goal of his by utilizing all of his resources.
"I went to a smaller school in Texas, so I was ranked higher academically in my school," said Dunham. "I graduated No. 6 in my class. I'm not going to say I didn't work hard to get it, but using the resources and the people around me to speed up the process helped me get where I wanted to be."
His high level of determination has transitioned into his work ethic at TCU, and he is a player Gary Patterson believes demonstrates leadership qualities other players should follow.
"(I tell younger players) not to focus so much on what the outside says or what it looks like right now," Dunham said. "Just stick to the process; trust the process. Like I said, meet deadlines, and do what has to be done."
As a senior criminal justice major, Dunham is required to complete an internship in his field to graduate from TCU's AddRan College of Liberal Arts. Dunham called all the local law firms in hopes that someone would work with the busy schedule of a student-athlete.
"Andrew Griffin is a Texas Tech alumnus. He gave me a chance, and he gave me an interview," Dunham said.
Griffin, an attorney at The Miers Law Firm has been named Top Attorney in Fort Worth on many occasions.
"He has a history with collegiate athletics, so he worked with my schedule to help me get the hours I need to get for this semester and to graduate," Dunham said.
While the dream of playing in the National Football League is still alive, Dunham knows that there are endless possibilities for him once his football career comes to an end.
"I'm just waiting to see how it plays out," said Dunham. "I might go to law school. I might just get a job in the criminal justice field and live my happy life. I might coach football. My biggest thing right now is just networking and creating opportunities to take advantage of when I'm through focusing on football."
Learning under Griffin at The Miers Law Firm, which specializes in family and divorce law, has confirmed Dunham's desire to help people through his field.
"I come from a background of social work and politics, so advocacy and outreach types of things really interest me," Dunham said. "The law firm that I am at right now is actually family and divorce law, so however that correlates. I just want to help people. Get people to the right resources so they can maximize things like that. I want to be a helper and a keeper of people."
Before he can focus on life after college, Dunham and the rest of the Horned Frogs still have seven games left in their regular season to make their goals a reality.
"This year is all about realizing those opportunities you have and maximizing on those opportunities," said Dunham. "So as far as that goes, in terms of football specifically, just taking advantage of every week, every play and every opportunity that we have to be
successful."
Dunham certainly has been contributing at the linebacker position, recording a sack against Ohio State and a fumble recovery for a touchdown against SMU.
"Me personally, I have goals. The team, we're 3-2, we have goals and places that we want to be. We're 1-1 in conference play, and that's not how we wanted to start it," said Dunham. "I didn't see much of a breakout season until people started mentioning it as one. I'm pretty much focused on just trying to maximize on these opportunities we have and try to become all that I can become. I want to maximize the opportunities that TCU has given to me."
When asked one thing people should know about Alec Dunham, he responded by saying, "I won't quit. I'm a fierce competitor." This has been demonstrated in many aspects of his life, as Dunham is a player who embodies everything a student-athlete stands for.
"I try to utilize all of the resources TCU has to offer," said Dunham. "Time management, things like that are important, but (being a student-athlete) is not as hard as people make it out to be. Just got to get things done. We need deadlines. Deadlines really help."
Through his secondary education, Dunham took classes during the summer and became an early enrollee at TCU going into the 2015 season. Dunham accomplished this goal of his by utilizing all of his resources.
"I went to a smaller school in Texas, so I was ranked higher academically in my school," said Dunham. "I graduated No. 6 in my class. I'm not going to say I didn't work hard to get it, but using the resources and the people around me to speed up the process helped me get where I wanted to be."
His high level of determination has transitioned into his work ethic at TCU, and he is a player Gary Patterson believes demonstrates leadership qualities other players should follow.
"(I tell younger players) not to focus so much on what the outside says or what it looks like right now," Dunham said. "Just stick to the process; trust the process. Like I said, meet deadlines, and do what has to be done."
As a senior criminal justice major, Dunham is required to complete an internship in his field to graduate from TCU's AddRan College of Liberal Arts. Dunham called all the local law firms in hopes that someone would work with the busy schedule of a student-athlete.
"Andrew Griffin is a Texas Tech alumnus. He gave me a chance, and he gave me an interview," Dunham said.
Griffin, an attorney at The Miers Law Firm has been named Top Attorney in Fort Worth on many occasions.
"He has a history with collegiate athletics, so he worked with my schedule to help me get the hours I need to get for this semester and to graduate," Dunham said.
While the dream of playing in the National Football League is still alive, Dunham knows that there are endless possibilities for him once his football career comes to an end.
"I'm just waiting to see how it plays out," said Dunham. "I might go to law school. I might just get a job in the criminal justice field and live my happy life. I might coach football. My biggest thing right now is just networking and creating opportunities to take advantage of when I'm through focusing on football."
Learning under Griffin at The Miers Law Firm, which specializes in family and divorce law, has confirmed Dunham's desire to help people through his field.
"I come from a background of social work and politics, so advocacy and outreach types of things really interest me," Dunham said. "The law firm that I am at right now is actually family and divorce law, so however that correlates. I just want to help people. Get people to the right resources so they can maximize things like that. I want to be a helper and a keeper of people."
Before he can focus on life after college, Dunham and the rest of the Horned Frogs still have seven games left in their regular season to make their goals a reality.
"This year is all about realizing those opportunities you have and maximizing on those opportunities," said Dunham. "So as far as that goes, in terms of football specifically, just taking advantage of every week, every play and every opportunity that we have to be
successful."
Dunham certainly has been contributing at the linebacker position, recording a sack against Ohio State and a fumble recovery for a touchdown against SMU.
"Me personally, I have goals. The team, we're 3-2, we have goals and places that we want to be. We're 1-1 in conference play, and that's not how we wanted to start it," said Dunham. "I didn't see much of a breakout season until people started mentioning it as one. I'm pretty much focused on just trying to maximize on these opportunities we have and try to become all that I can become. I want to maximize the opportunities that TCU has given to me."
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