Q&A WITH DAVIS ALEXANDER Davis Alexander ’21, one of the greatest quarterbacks in school history, recently finished his career at Portland State ranked second in virtually every passing statistic behind the legendary Neil Lomax ’82, who was selected for two NFL Pro Bowl teams. Alexander signed with the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes, which begin the regular season June 9. Portland State Magazine caught up with Alexander as he prepared for his new life as a professonial athlete. Questions and responses have been edited for clarity and brevity. Has it hit you yet that your career here is over? Yeah, but I still do have a lot of friends on the team. They’re going through their training right now back at Portland State, you know, all the stuff that I did for five years. That was a little weird. That was the final mark of, ‘You’re done with it.’ But I do stay in contact with the coaches and stuff, so I don’t completely feel out of it. Those were definitely some of the most fun years of my life. What went through your mind as you signed the deal with the Alouettes? It felt like a dream come true. I’ve been playing football since I was 6 years old, and it ’s everything I could ask for. It just made me feel like the work that I’ve put out over the past couple of years was being made into something. What are some of your goals? Obviously I want to make the team. Just because you sign doesn’t mean you made the team. I want to make a career out there in Canada, and eventually maybe take over [the starting quarterback job]. They have a depth chart and there’s a process, but I just want to make the team and contribute. Oregon University. “You can’t really replace parents that care for you.That’s kind of the role that my family stepped into unknowingly.” The role was perhaps never clearer than when Snyder, after consultation with Hammons, lived with the Huttons for a year. He accepted the responsibilities, like chores; the experiences, such as a family trip to eastern Oregon; and the opportunities for personal growth, such as the weekly family attendance at Christian services. “Our house was a safe place,” Brent Hutton said. Meanwhile, Snyder continued to improve, setting the high school’s record in the steeplechase. Before deciding to attend PSU, Snyder met with his future college teammates and quickly jibed with them. Snyder said goofing around with his teammates after practice has been one of the best parts about running collegiate track. “We can just go around and be our dumb, young 21-year-old selves,” Snyder said. SNYDER’S PSU career began with a thud. Leading by 70 meters in an outdoor steeplechase event his freshman year in 2019, Snyder stepped on a shoelace before reaching the third barrier. His head hit the barrier and it knocked him out. With a concussion, Snyder was disqualified from the race. His time in the concussion protocol put a hold on his goals until the following season. Portland State Track and Field Assistant Coach Josh Seitz, who coaches distance runners, said coaches have needed to encourage Snyder to not push his body too much. “He’ll run through a brick wall for you if he knows you have his best interests at heart,” Seitz said. “He is one of the most stubborn athletes I’ve ever coached, and I say that in a good way.” COVID-19 nixed the following spring season, meaning Snyder’s chance for redemption wouldn’t come until his junior year. Seitz said he maintained his training routine until he saw the track again. In his first season back, Snyder broke the record. Twice named to the Academic All-Big Sky list, Snyder currently ranks in the top ten of five other all-time school distance records. “Everything that I do in life, I have a different determination to kind of prove our parents wrong,” Snyder said. “There’s times where I definitely push harder than I should be, just because I always feel like I have something to prove.” Snyder added, though, that his teammates and coaches at PSU have created a welcoming home for him, much like what he had with Hammons, the Huttons and his Bandon High teammates. “Seitz, and the team, the guys have been really good at encouraging me,” he said. “I’ve shown that I do belong here, and that’s not something that I have to do anymore.” Snyder won’t compete in the outdoor track season this spring, but will be “helping the team in any way that I can,” he said. After graduation, he plans to join the Army with the goal of becoming a Green Beret. —JACK HEFFERNAN “He’ll run through a brick wall for you if he knows you have his best interests at heart.” interviewed by Jack Heffernan Josh Snyder beat the 39-year-old school record for men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase during this race at the Hayward Premiere on April 2, 2021. LARRY LAWSON TROY WAYRYNEN; ADOBE STOCK SPRING 2022 // 17
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