Tech Triumph: Ryan Alford
4/17/2019 8:57:00 AM | Golf
Bulldog golfer in final season on the links at Tech
RUSTON -- Golf. Often described as one of the most frustrating yet rewarding sports in the world. To be successful, one must have a rare mixture of patience, patience and more patience.
For Louisiana Tech senior Ryan Alford, that unique quality along with a natural-born love for the game came naturally from a very young age.
"My dad introduced me to golf when I was five years old," Alford said. "Obviously as a young kid, it took me a while to understand the game and to grow, but once I figured out everything that goes into being successful, I really fell in love with it."
Alford grew up a multi-sport athlete, following in his father's footsteps, playing basketball, football and golf. However, an ACL tear in a basketball game as a seventh grader gave him a chance to really fine tune his game as a golfer and hone in on his work on the course.
"Basketball was always my main sport growing up, and golf was just on the side," Alford said. "When I realized I actually could be really successful in golf, I poured all my focus and concentration into it. I was in middle school when I realized that this is something I can really be successful at and maybe take to the next level."
Alford bloomed almost immediately, as the Shreveport native, along with teammate and current PGA professional Sam Burns, helped lead Calvary Baptist Academy to five consecutive state championship titles from 2010-2014.
Along with the team state titles, Alford also racked up plenty of individual accolades, finishing 8th in the Division III State Championship as a senior, and third in the state tournament as a junior. With the awards and recognition came interest from collegiate golf programs all around the state and neighboring vicinities, including Louisiana Tech.
"I was looking at some different schools around the state, but Tech was my first official offer," Alford recalled. "I knew they played at Squire Creek, and I thought it was a tremendous course the first time I saw it. That was definitely a huge selling point for me – that and the proximity to home. I took my time, and thought about some other offers, but something about Tech just felt right to me."
Alford joined the program in 2014 and faced some early adversity with a pair of coaching changes early on in his career. The redshirt senior mulled over possibly leaving the program, but some reassuring from incoming head coach Matt Terry gave Alford the confidence he needed to stay in Ruston and finish out his career.
"It definitely wasn't easy going through multiple coaching changes that early in my career," Alford said. "I remember thinking about transferring a couple times, but then coach (Matt) Terry called me and told me to wait it out and stick with it, so I did. I'm very thankful I did, because we are extremely close right now."
Alford, who is now working on his M.B.A. at Tech, finished his undergrad degree in four years in business management, and credits the Tech business school faculty for helping him reach his academic goals to this point in his collegiate career.
"I love the business school here at Tech," Alford said. "That was one of the reasons I stuck around, because of how helpful and thoughtful all the professors and faculty are. They really care about your future and its encouraging coming to class every day."
Alford and the rest of the Bulldog golf team have competed in one of the toughest schedules in the nation this season, crisscrossing the nation across various tournaments from Clemson, South Carolina, to Tampa, Florida, to Louisville, Kentucky. The fifth-year senior says the key for him and the team is to remain focused, no matter the environment and atmosphere.
"The biggest challenge is taking our game from Ruston and bringing it to wherever we're playing that weekend," said Alford. "The game is there. It's bringing the mindset to a different place, and showing that in our play. We've got great chemistry as a team, and I've really enjoyed my time with these guys this season."
Alford, now a veteran leader for the Bulldogs, says he is grateful he made the decision to stay in Ruston and finish the course both athletically and academically.
"I've definitely enjoyed my five years here," he said. "I love the small-town feel of Ruston and how easy it is to get to know people at Tech and around town. My family all lives in Shreveport, so I've never been too far away from them, which is definitely something that's helped me out. Honestly, I'm just thankful I stayed the course, because I couldn't see myself anywhere else."
For Louisiana Tech senior Ryan Alford, that unique quality along with a natural-born love for the game came naturally from a very young age.
"My dad introduced me to golf when I was five years old," Alford said. "Obviously as a young kid, it took me a while to understand the game and to grow, but once I figured out everything that goes into being successful, I really fell in love with it."
Alford grew up a multi-sport athlete, following in his father's footsteps, playing basketball, football and golf. However, an ACL tear in a basketball game as a seventh grader gave him a chance to really fine tune his game as a golfer and hone in on his work on the course.
"Basketball was always my main sport growing up, and golf was just on the side," Alford said. "When I realized I actually could be really successful in golf, I poured all my focus and concentration into it. I was in middle school when I realized that this is something I can really be successful at and maybe take to the next level."
Alford bloomed almost immediately, as the Shreveport native, along with teammate and current PGA professional Sam Burns, helped lead Calvary Baptist Academy to five consecutive state championship titles from 2010-2014.
Along with the team state titles, Alford also racked up plenty of individual accolades, finishing 8th in the Division III State Championship as a senior, and third in the state tournament as a junior. With the awards and recognition came interest from collegiate golf programs all around the state and neighboring vicinities, including Louisiana Tech.
"I was looking at some different schools around the state, but Tech was my first official offer," Alford recalled. "I knew they played at Squire Creek, and I thought it was a tremendous course the first time I saw it. That was definitely a huge selling point for me – that and the proximity to home. I took my time, and thought about some other offers, but something about Tech just felt right to me."
Alford joined the program in 2014 and faced some early adversity with a pair of coaching changes early on in his career. The redshirt senior mulled over possibly leaving the program, but some reassuring from incoming head coach Matt Terry gave Alford the confidence he needed to stay in Ruston and finish out his career.
"It definitely wasn't easy going through multiple coaching changes that early in my career," Alford said. "I remember thinking about transferring a couple times, but then coach (Matt) Terry called me and told me to wait it out and stick with it, so I did. I'm very thankful I did, because we are extremely close right now."
Alford, who is now working on his M.B.A. at Tech, finished his undergrad degree in four years in business management, and credits the Tech business school faculty for helping him reach his academic goals to this point in his collegiate career.
"I love the business school here at Tech," Alford said. "That was one of the reasons I stuck around, because of how helpful and thoughtful all the professors and faculty are. They really care about your future and its encouraging coming to class every day."
Alford and the rest of the Bulldog golf team have competed in one of the toughest schedules in the nation this season, crisscrossing the nation across various tournaments from Clemson, South Carolina, to Tampa, Florida, to Louisville, Kentucky. The fifth-year senior says the key for him and the team is to remain focused, no matter the environment and atmosphere.
"The biggest challenge is taking our game from Ruston and bringing it to wherever we're playing that weekend," said Alford. "The game is there. It's bringing the mindset to a different place, and showing that in our play. We've got great chemistry as a team, and I've really enjoyed my time with these guys this season."
Alford, now a veteran leader for the Bulldogs, says he is grateful he made the decision to stay in Ruston and finish the course both athletically and academically.
"I've definitely enjoyed my five years here," he said. "I love the small-town feel of Ruston and how easy it is to get to know people at Tech and around town. My family all lives in Shreveport, so I've never been too far away from them, which is definitely something that's helped me out. Honestly, I'm just thankful I stayed the course, because I couldn't see myself anywhere else."
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