Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Life as a Mountaineer – Taijh Alston
October 17, 2021 09:00 AM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - A pure and unconditional love of football has helped Taijh Alston push through three major injuries in the last four years. He chronicles all three, beginning with his first knee injury the week before East Carolina's 2017 season opener against James Madison during his freshman season.
"I just knew I was going to have a big freshman season that year so that really took a toll on me," he says.
Then, it was off to Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson, Mississippi, where he played well enough to be discovered by West Virginia in 2018.
"I went to junior college, had a great season there, got to the Power 5 level at West Virginia and I was expecting to have a big 2019 season," he says.
But, his season came to a crashing end two games into it at Missouri when he injured the same knee in the second quarter of the Mountaineers' 38-7 loss to the Tigers. Even more rehabbing ensued.
"That took a big toll on me as well because I felt like I fought back so hard from the (first injury) and I reinjured the same knee," he says.
The third major injury occurred during the summer leading into last season. This time it was his Achilles tendon behind his foot in the same knee he injured twice.
Yet more pain and another extended stay in the training room.
"It felt like somebody had kicked me in the back of my Achilles," he admits. "That was another bump in the road, and it took me to a dark place in the beginning, and I had to dig deep. I wasn't going to let an injury determine my career and what I can do.
"I knew what I could do at this level, and I just kept fighting and kept fighting and kept the faith," he adds.
Hit the fast forward button nine months to today. Alston currently leads West Virginia's defense with eight tackles for loss and five sacks. He had a pair of sacks in the Mountaineers' last-second loss at Oklahoma and he's also dragged down the opposing quarterback in games against Virginia Tech and Texas Tech.
"All of the hard work I've put in is finally starting to pay off, and it just motivates me to work even harder to keep doing my job and playing the way I'm playing," he says. "Most importantly, just running hard to the ball and playing hard as a player in general … that helped me a lot."
The excitement and the enthusiasm of getting a sack inside Milan Puskar Stadium is like getting an injection of adrenaline, Alston says.
"There is no better feeling than getting a sack in Milan Puskar Stadium. I love being a factor on the D-line and helping my team as much as I can," he says.
What he's accomplished so far is a result of his passion and desire to be a good football player. You don't overcome three major injuries during a four-year period otherwise.
"It's a great feeling after knowing all you've been through you can still come back and play this game if you just work hard and stay positive every day," he says.
This week's Life as a Mountaineer was produced by Sean Merinar and presented each week by Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration.
"I just knew I was going to have a big freshman season that year so that really took a toll on me," he says.
Then, it was off to Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson, Mississippi, where he played well enough to be discovered by West Virginia in 2018.
"I went to junior college, had a great season there, got to the Power 5 level at West Virginia and I was expecting to have a big 2019 season," he says.
But, his season came to a crashing end two games into it at Missouri when he injured the same knee in the second quarter of the Mountaineers' 38-7 loss to the Tigers. Even more rehabbing ensued.
"That took a big toll on me as well because I felt like I fought back so hard from the (first injury) and I reinjured the same knee," he says.
The third major injury occurred during the summer leading into last season. This time it was his Achilles tendon behind his foot in the same knee he injured twice.
Yet more pain and another extended stay in the training room.
"It felt like somebody had kicked me in the back of my Achilles," he admits. "That was another bump in the road, and it took me to a dark place in the beginning, and I had to dig deep. I wasn't going to let an injury determine my career and what I can do.
"I knew what I could do at this level, and I just kept fighting and kept fighting and kept the faith," he adds.
Hit the fast forward button nine months to today. Alston currently leads West Virginia's defense with eight tackles for loss and five sacks. He had a pair of sacks in the Mountaineers' last-second loss at Oklahoma and he's also dragged down the opposing quarterback in games against Virginia Tech and Texas Tech.
"All of the hard work I've put in is finally starting to pay off, and it just motivates me to work even harder to keep doing my job and playing the way I'm playing," he says. "Most importantly, just running hard to the ball and playing hard as a player in general … that helped me a lot."
The excitement and the enthusiasm of getting a sack inside Milan Puskar Stadium is like getting an injection of adrenaline, Alston says.
"There is no better feeling than getting a sack in Milan Puskar Stadium. I love being a factor on the D-line and helping my team as much as I can," he says.
What he's accomplished so far is a result of his passion and desire to be a good football player. You don't overcome three major injuries during a four-year period otherwise.
"It's a great feeling after knowing all you've been through you can still come back and play this game if you just work hard and stay positive every day," he says.
This week's Life as a Mountaineer was produced by Sean Merinar and presented each week by Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration.
Players Mentioned
DL
/ FootballGeimere Latimer | April 2
Thursday, April 02
Coach Deke Adams | April 2
Thursday, April 02
Coach Rich Rodriguez | April 2
Thursday, April 02
Cam Cook | March 30
Monday, March 30
