For Schultz, A Dream Finally Realized
10/30/2007 8:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 30, 2007
By Rose DiPaula, Maryland Athletics Media Relations Staff
COLLEGE PARK, MD. - As a child growing up in the Baltimore area, Alex Schultz dreamed of one day playing for the Maryland Terrapins. Now a junior inside linebacker for the Terps, Schultz has finally seen his dream realized. In between his life took a path he never could have foreseen.
When he was eight years old the Schultz family moved down south to Louisiana, although Alex made a point to continue to follow the Maryland sports teams.
He played football for De La Salle High School, where he played almost every position on the field, except quarterback, defensive back and kicker. He recorded 78 tackles and six sacks in his senior year, along with five receptions for 158 yards on the offensive side of the ball.
As he prepared to graduate and think about a future football career, Schultz knew exactly where he wanted to go: Maryland.
"It was the only place I wanted to go, the only place I even applied," he said
But when things didn't exactly fall in to place for Schultz, he applied to Towson University, where he redshirted for a year but continued to work out to improve his skills and work on his strength.
"He might have been in the mix to play there, but stayed with his dream of wanting to come to Marland and get an education and play football here," said outside linebackers coach Al Seamonson, who recruited Schultz when he was in high school. "We never told him not to, but we didn't plant a real rosy picture for him either. He fell in love with Maryland and wanted to come here, so he found a way to come here one way or another."
After a year at Towson, Schultz finally arrived at Maryland. He sat out a year, due to NCAA transfer rules, but he was happy to be a part of the team.
But, just weeks after he enrolled at Maryland, Schultz's family in Louisiana was caught in the middle of Hurricane Katrina.
"I was in a new environment and I had just walked on to the football team. It was a really rough experience," said Schultz.
His father, Dr. Melvin Schultz, was able to save the records from his medical practice, which only suffered some broken windows. The Schultz's New Orleans-area home was victim to intense wind damage, which caused the roof over Alex's bedroom to collapse.
"We were more fortunate than other people. We didn't get a lot of flood damage," he said.
His younger brother and older sister came up to Baltimore to stay with family for a few months, but the healing process took longer than expected.
"I came back down [to New Orleans] that winter and it was still horrible. It looked like it had just happened and they had already spent four months trying to fix it," said Schultz.
He spent much of his first semester here at Maryland in Baltimore with family members. "I missed on meeting people here because I was always up there," said Schultz.
His father was able to get his medical practice back on track, but there was an extreme shortage of patients for the elder Schultz to work with.
"He had to find a new place to move his practice. He was pretty much out of a job for about three months. That's what really affected me because he took it pretty hard," said Schultz, "I actually had to live off food stamps and FEMA money for a few months, which was a really odd experience. I didn't think that that would ever happen to me."
Seamonson has seen the effects of the struggle on Schultz. "With him being here and his family down there after Katrina wiped everything out, he must have really been torn because he wasn't able to be close to his family to help with the recovery. As a result he's had a burden on his shoulders maybe this whole time," he said.
Schultz was able to work through his anger at the situation and used his faith and prayer to help with the situation.
"That has really helped me come at things with a different perspective. I used to try and release my anger. The way I do it now is kind of a more poised approach," said Schultz.
He also knew that he was virtually unknown at the Maryland football program and in order to make a name for himself, he would have to work hard.
"I knew coming in that I wasn't the fastest, I wasn't the strongest. I had to basically just keep pounding on my technique and do the small things. That's really the only way I could get an edge," he said.
Two years later, Schultz has achieved some of the things he came here to do and is beginning to see the benefits of his hard work.
"I've definitely gained a lot more respect from the coaches. When I first came here, my position coach didn't even know my name. Now I get to wear my own number every practice," he said with pride.
Defensive Coordinator Chris Cosh, who also doubles as Schultz's postion coach at inside linebacker, said he has seen Scultz's game improve from spring ball to the fall season, as the junior as earned increased practice reps.
"He's a very tough kid and tough-minded. It's probably what got him through transferring and [the Hurricane] and all that," Cosh said.
Along with the coaches, Schultz's teammates now respect him as well.
"As time went on, I gradually gained more and more respect from them. They've always been friendly to me. That's why I like it here. None of them were arrogant. I think now they see me as somebody that belongs on the team," he said.
When it comes to his role on the Terrapin squad, Schultz is more of the quiet player, that just does his job day in and day out.
"If I make a play I'm not really one to get too enthusiastic about it. I do a little bit, everybody should, but I'm just the kind of person that likes to let my actions speak," said Schultz.
As the Terrapins embark on the second half of the season and some important conference games, one player will be ready when called upon. While he has yet to see substantial playing time, Schultz continues to work hard for his chance. Schultz said, "Whenever that opportunity comes, I just have to be ready for it."
