Things to know about..Alex Lakes

Alex Lakes, redshirt freshman, has had a huge impact on the field for the Mercer Football team in the 2014 season thus far. He wears jersey number 27 and is a running back for the Bears.

Lakes is from Newnan, Ga., and attended Northgate High School, where he participated in both football and track. When offered the opportunity to play at Mercer, Lakes could not refuse the offer.

“I chose Mercer because it is close to home, and no matter what, my parents will always get to see me play,” Lakes said.

So far this season, Lakes has played in all eight games. This season, he has scored 11 touchdowns and had a total of 107 rushes adding up to 698 yards.

“I feel good about my performance this year, but I would not be able to do it without the help from my team, from the offensive line and receivers blocking to the play calling by the coaches,” he said.

Lakes was also named Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Month for the month of September. During this month, he was a key player in the Bears’ going 3-1. Lakes was also named freshman of the week after the Bears defeated Stetson 49-0. He was among the first of Mercer student-athletes to receive recognition from the conference for his performances. Lakes currently leads the conference in rushing, is second in the conference in scoring and has scored an average of 9.4 points per game.

After being named the Southern Conference’s Offensive Player of the Month, Lakes was placed on the Watch List for the Jerry Rice Award. Twenty-one newcomers in the FCS were placed on this list and was joined by freshman Chandler Curtis. The award is named after Jerry Rice, who played wide receiver in the FCS at Mississippi Valley State. It is given yearly to a standout first-year player in the FCS. A panel of esteemed members nominate and select the winner, who will be announced December 15.

The team is currently 5-3 with losses to Samford, Furman and Western Carolina, who were among the top teams in the Southern Conference last season. Despite the losses, Lakes stays positive about his team.

“Our team has done really well this year,” Lakes said. “I feel as though we had chances to win the two close games against Furman and Samford.”

Many players have specific pre-game rituals and routines before contests, and Lakes is no different.

“Before games, I just like to joke around and listen to music. I am not one of those people who has to get all serious before games,” said Lakes.

While at Mercer, Lakes studies sports business and wants to pursue a career that involves football.

“My dream job would be to play for the NFL because I would be getting paid to play the game that I love,” he said. Lakes would also be interested in being a college football coach or an athletic director.

Lakes really enjoys spending time with friends and teammates and trying to have a good time. Most of his weekends are spent playing, but when he is free, he likes to listen to music and be with friends.

“I love to hang out with my friends and just have a good time,” Lakes said.

Off the field, Lakes is a pretty shy although he enjoys social media such as  Twitter and Instagram, like most college kids. He also loves listening to music, and his favorite artist is J. Cole.