Alec Mock’s career at Air Force has seen an uptick in production each year.
The 6-foot-3, 240-pound linebacker has increased his tackles every season. From 13 tackles in 2020 (in just three games) to 53 as a sophomore in 2021 in 11 games. The progression continued in 2022 when he had 65 tackles in 11 games and he saved his best for this past season with 93 tackles in 13 games, earning Second Team All-Mountain West honors.
Now Mock is looking to take his game to the next level. He aspires to have an NFL career, and Mock realizes the path won’t be easy. He is realistic, understanding he might have to make it as an undrafted free agent, but whether he is selected in the NFL Draft or not, he has been working diligently for his chance.
Mock’s class of 2024 has been grandfathered in a rule that allows him to delay his five-year service commitment while attempting to begin a pro career.
He will graduate this spring with a business degree.
Mock is hoping NFL teams will see the progression he has made and give him a chance. He has played both inside and outside linebacker. Having played in 38 career games, he feels his experience and comfort level playing linebacker are major selling points.
“I feel very confident,” Mock said in an interview with HERO Sports. “I felt junior year I kind of started hitting my stride.”
With added experience, he was able to rely more on his instincts.
“Now there is a little less thinking and more playing,” he said. “This year I was able to go out and play and it felt kind of second nature, and that is what made it so much fun.”
Related Articles
- Quinyon Mitchell’s NFL Draft Stock High After Staying ‘Loyal’ To Toledo
- NFL Draft: Trevor Williams Hoping To Become A Pro After Dazzling Sam Houston Career
- NFL Draft: Brian Dooley of Eastern Michigan Believes His Film ‘Speaks For Itself’
Mock wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine, which makes his plight more difficult, but it hasn’t altered his confidence or his enthusiasm for the task at hand.
“I am very realistic with myself and I kind of knew once I got Second Team (All-Mountain West) and not First Team that (getting invited to the Combine) wasn’t going to be in the cards,” he said. “It didn’t bother me much.”
He also got to do many of the combine activities during Air Force’s Pro Day on March 17.
While the Air Force Academy didn’t want the players to reveal their Pro Day results, Mock said he was happy with how things went.
Since he was the only linebacker at the Pro Day, Mock had to do drills with the defensive backs, which provided good feedback from the scouts who were on hand.
“I was told that I moved well in the change of direction and during the coverage drills,” he said.
That was important because it showed the scouts that he can indeed be a factor in pass coverage.
Mock’s highlight in pass coverage came during this past season’s 17-6 win at Navy when he had an 18-yard interception return for a touchdown off a tipped ball.
“That interception was like a cherry on top,” he said. “We had beaten Navy three years to that point since I have been here and for our class to get that sweep and having that ball land right in my bread-basket, it was awesome and felt great.”
Unlike most others who are preparing for a shot at the NFL, Mock can’t just leave school for a few months and train in some a facility, in say, Florida.
He still must attend class. This semester, he says he has 18.5 credits, which Mock says is his lightest word load.
For the last two months, his already hectic schedule got busier.
Since returning for the semester in January, he has frequently done strength training and change-of-direction drills in the morning before school. After his classes are over, he drives about 45 minutes to Kula Sports Performance in Denver.
“They’ve got a great staff and have helped me a lot,” he said.
It’s an exhausting schedule, but Mock has been willing to put in the time. If he is unable to hook on with an NFL team, Mock has a job next season as a graduate assistant for the football team. He obviously hopes to be playing rather than coaching.
While he has had to deal with injuries in the past, his senior season was relatively injury-free. He did have a hip pointer but didn’t miss any time.
Mock played with both ferocity and intelligence. His ability to learn a scheme quickly will benefit him in his effort to earn an NFL spot.
“I think it is an advantage,” he said. “I feel I know our defense inside out, and while each team has different philosophies and schemes, if you understand the basics, on what is going on, and have a grasp, then you can build on that super quickly.”
The combination of his physicality, intelligence, and mobility are selling points that Mock hopes impress NFL teams in his quest to continue his playing career at the highest level.
