Pierce is rock solid
11/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
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Standing firmly at six-foot one-inch and weighing two-hundred and twenty pounds, senior middle-linebacker Al Pierce is one of the strongest members on Lehigh’s football squad. He is tough. He is disciplined. And because of his unrivaled determination and hard-work, Pierce has become an integral part of a Lehigh defensive unit that is currently ranked eighth in sacks and 15th in tackles-for-loss among FCS teams.
A Moorestown N.J. native, Pierce grew up playing multiple sports, like any neighborhood kid. Growing up with a father who played collegiate football on the defensive line at Arizona State University, he quickly developed a passion for the pigskin, which led him to take the field in the seventh grade. In his youth, Pierce played safety and would look toward his father for coaching and guidance.
“My father has been my driving force. He would come to as many games as he possibly could,” Pierce said. “He was both my father and coach.”
After starting his young football career on defense, Pierce’s athleticism led him to the opposite side of the ball, where he starred as running-back at Moorestown High School. In high school, Pierce was a two-sport athlete, garnering captainship in both football and wrestling. He earned All-County accolades at running back and was a state qualifier at 215 pounds in wrestling.
As his senior year at Moorestown neared its conclusion, Pierce and his family decided to opt for an additional year of schooling and football before college, where he hoped to get more interest from a larger number of schools. The decision brought him to the prestigious Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia. Hargrave has boasted an array of notable alumni in the armed forces, U.S. government, and professional athletics.
Pierce credits the stern military lifestyle of Hargrave with developing the determined work-ethic he exhibits at Lehigh.
“Hargrave was tough,” Pierce said. “Waking up at 5:30 a.m. everyday, abiding by a strict uniform, and living the military lifestyle definitely readied me for academic and athletic life at Lehigh. It helped me become more confident in football.”
Playing full-back at Hargrave, Pierce caught the eye of Lehigh head coach Andy Coen, who at the time was enjoying a six-year stint as offensive coordinator at the University of Pennsylvania. Coen was then welcomed back to Lehigh to fill the head coach vacancy in 2006, and the positive relationship established with Coen brought Pierce to South Mountain.
Pierce’s freshman year was riddled with setbacks. For the first time since middle school, he was playing defense full-time at linebacker. The schemes were difficult, and to make matters worse, he sustained a serious hand injury that sidelined him the entire year.
“I had never played linebacker until I came to Lehigh. It was extremely frustrating as a freshman not knowing what to do,” Pierce said. “It took a while to get used to, but I put in the work studying film, and I stayed the summer to train with other teammates.”
Pierce counted on his grit and resiliency to learn the line-backing position, and in his junior campaign, he enjoyed a breakout year, flourishing for the Brown and White. That year he appeared in every game, finishing with 50 tackles and two sacks. He recorded seven or more tackles in five games, with the highlight of his 2008 season coming against arch-rival Lafayette, where his nine tackles, including two for losses, helped Lehigh end a four-year skid against the Leopards.
Although he has missed three games this season, his 23 tackles, with 4.5 for negative yardage, has been vital for the Mountain Hawks’ defense that leads the Patriot League in total defense.
An architecture major, Pierce plans on attending graduate school after he uses his medical hardship year to help solidify Lehigh’s stingy defense next season.
Story written by Kenny Burgess '10
