Cougar Corner | WSU Football:Top Ten Players For 2009: No. 1

The Washington State Cougars will be a much improved football team in 2009. Simply scan the nine players already listed as part of the Top 10 and you will discover a few of the reasons.

Coach Paul Wulff and his staff have worked diligently with their roster of student/athletes to make strides in every aspect of Cougar football.

In a little over two months, WSU will open their schedule with a conference game in Pullman hosting Stanford.

From the opening kickoff to the final gun, expect to see some exciting football in Martin Stadium.

Before revealing the No. 1 player leading the resurgence of WSU football, let's take a look at what's different about Cougar football in 2009.

It was a good off season for the Cougs.

They a bigger and better conditioned from strength training.

The no-huddle offense was effective during spring practice despite two of the best quarterbacks watching from the sidelines because of injury.

One of the best incoming class of recruits will upgrade roster talent. These young men are excited to be in Pullman and play Pac-10 football for Washington State.

Those are just a few of the compelling reasons to expect success on the gridiron for the Cougs in 2009.

 Now for yet another reason this will be a good year for Cougar football.

The No. 1 player for Washington State this fall will be center Kenny Alfred. This choice was a "no brainer".

Alfred anchors an offensive line that is ready to dictate the pace of play with Coach Wulff's no-huddle offense.  Referring to Alfred as an anchor runs the risk of sounding trite as the term is overused. Kenny has missed just one game in three years, UCLA in 2007, and that's it. In a word, impressive.

Playing offensive center carries with it the responsibility to not just lead the offensive line, but communicate with the quarterback his line is set.

Though last season was one to forget for the Cougar offense, Alfred still garnered accolades including All Pac-10 honorable mention. Keep in mind that the Pac-10 has produced numerous NFL centers in the past three seasons. Alfred is one of the best at his position.

When it comes to leadership, sure Alfred is a senior and will have the attention of younger players. His leadership extends beyond the playing field. Kenny Alfred has been name to the Pac-10 All Academic team as an honorable mention for three consecutive years. He is a student/athlete. Period.

Simply stated, Kenny Alfred is a Coug.

Alfred plays a position on the football field that doesn't get a lot of attention by fans, but without a strong center, the "skill" players don't have a chance to have a spotlight shine on them. His play this season will go a long way in determining the level of success the Cougs enjoy.

In 2009, Alfred will be the No. 1 player on a very talent roster of football players. Period.

Originally published on Examiner.com