Tony Alford and Urban Meyer go way back. We're talking back to when Meyer was mustachioed and the Western Athletic Conference was still a thing in college football.
Alford was a running back at Colorado State from 1987-90, rushing for 1,845 yards and 15 touchdowns in his career.
Meyer, a young, upstart and fiery coach trying to make it in the college ranks, crossed paths with Alford in 1990 as Earle Bruce's wide receivers coach with the Rams. Alford ran for 689 yards and nine touchdowns that season, as Colorado State won nine games including the now-defunct Freedom Bowl against Oregon, 32-31.
What was Meyer like back then? About what you'd expect.
"OK, you take it and multiply it by 100, just younger," Alford said of his new boss Thursday. "No, he was great, he coached the receivers, but he had some great mentors in Earle. You could tell the guy had a passion and a fire about doing things. Not just doing them, but doing them right and very particular about the finer details of everything that happens.
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"So for him to be doing that now, whatever 20-some odd years later, it's no surprise. It's who he is."
It's actually been 25 years since the two met in Fort Collins, Colo., but Meyer's kept his eye on Alford's career ever since.
"I've known Tony Alford for a long time and I am very pleased to be adding him to our staff," Meyer said Feb. 10 when he named Alford as Stan Drayton's replacement. "He's an exceptional person and coach who is going to work really well with our staff and who will be an outstanding mentor and teacher for this football program."
Meyer's often said he wasn't fond of coaching wide receivers in his five seasons at Colorado State, but much like everything else he does, the intensity he brought to the table is on the same level.
It is Meyer's will to win at any cost that drew him to Alford after he learned of Drayton's intentions to jump to the Chicago Bears. He saw the same thing in Alford he does in himself, a trait that was evident from the running back coach's first media session in Columbus.
"I mean it's intense, but I wouldn't say it's intimidating because I'm confident in my abilities. I'm confident in what I do," Alford said of the hiring process with Meyer. "And I'd like to think that if he wasn't confident in what I do he wouldn't have reached out to me."
Alford spoke Thursday about everything from his family, adjusting to a new job, his excitement to work with a star like Ezekiel Elliott and more.
He also said he feels fortunate to be back working with Meyer again but this time as a peer — because being hand-selected by a titan in the college football world means you've been doing something right.
"I'm honored that he would think that highly of me because you're talking about a team coming off a national title. You're talking about a guy who, a room full of guys that are really good players and could go anywhere to talk to about coming here to coach and he chose me," Alford said. "So I'm very fortunate, I'm very honored. I'm blessed."
