Cal Edge Coach Lorenzo Alexander on Coming Home, And Lessons From His Own Career

The longtime NFL veteran returned to his alma mater to help build something he believes in, and didn’t need much convincing.

Cal assistant edge coach Lorenzo Alexander came back to Berkeley with a deep sense of what this place means, having been part of some of the program’s most memorable teams in the early 2000s.

“It’s almost a full circle moment. I went here back in 2001 to 2004. Had a lot of great talent there with Tedford, Aaron Rodgers, Marshawn Lynch, that whole group that really started to change the program even then. To be a part of this new regime coming in with Tosh has been awesome.”

His NFL credibility gives him a shortcut with players who are chasing the same dream.

“I think it gives me instant credibility because of what I did. It allows me, without having to take time to build authentic relationships, to speak into their lives right now because they know I’ve done it. They know I’ve done it at a high level and for a long time. It gives me the opportunity to speak into their lives, help them with technique, with fundamentals, how they see the game, and help them be more productive on the field and off it.”

Alexander has known Tosh Lupoi since their playing days together, and says the head coach hasn’t changed.

“He’s actually the same dude he was in college. The way he approached the game, how consistent, how diligent, how disciplined he was, he was always locked in trying to maximize his ability. You see that in the way he coaches now. Everything is really laid out, really organized. When you have 100 plus players, coaches all over the place and music playing, it can be very chaotic, but he does everything to make sure people are in place, they know what they’re doing, practice is efficient and effective, and that when we step on the field everyone is prepared.”

Having lived through a program turnaround at Cal as a player, Alexander knows what the daily grind of building something looks like.

“When I was here we had a 1-11 season and by the end of that we were top five. We know what it takes. We know the process, the daily grind it takes to really shift the mindset and culture within a football team. I remember playing in that stadium and when we had that group of guys that changed it, it was rocking out there. Beating USC in triple overtime, that is what we’re trying to recreate here. Tosh is probably the best person I can think of, being from this area, being passionate, being extremely diligent in the relationships he’s cultivated at every level. When you talk to people that have coached with him or played for him, they have the utmost respect. That’s the reason I came back to help.”

He drew a direct line between what Lupoi is building and what Jeff Tedford did in that earlier era.

“Tosh is able to command the room. He has his principles that he clearly lays out every single day, how we’re going to play football. We’re going to be relentless, it’s all about the ball and it’s about brotherhood. Anytime you have a culture setter and these things that you can grab onto, that’s what you lean on when things get chaotic in games. When you create a culture where people want to be a part of it, you typically raise the level of play and end up being greater than the sum of your parts.”

When Lupoi called, Alexander didn’t need a sales pitch.

“He didn’t have to sell me. I love this institution, it did a lot for me. Tosh is very persuasive in a lot of ways, like, how can you be a part of this? I want you to help us, I want you to bring what you’ve done in the league because a lot of guys need this information. He didn’t have to do too much pushing and pulling. He gave me a little freedom, understood my family dynamic, and I’m able to come here and impact the guys.”

Alexander’s own career arc, going undrafted out of Cal before playing 15 years in the NFL largely as a defensive end despite being a linebacker, gives him a message that resonates with his players.

“Growth mindset. You can become anything you need to be. I was undrafted after leaving here and had to become something that allowed me to play in the league for 15 years. I’m trying to use that story. I had to be humbled in a lot of different ways and it actually helped me be better long term. When I’m speaking to you, I’m not trying to hold you back or show you your weakness. I’m trying to show you what you can become. When people see that I’ve done that within my own career, they’re more susceptible to receiving the criticism and critique that’s going to allow them to grow.”

Walking back onto the field as a Cal coach for the first time brought a flood of memories.

“A lot of emotions and a lot of memories came flooding back. Geoff MacArthur is also on staff and just being able to talk and connect with him and walk out there. The SC game, one of the first games Stanford came back and we ran out of ammunition because we scored so many points. Being down on Sproul Plaza with the guys, Telegraph. I’m from Oakland, the Bay Area. Just being back home, I can see family more. Really cool to be back here and be part of a shift and getting back to having great Cal football every weekend.”