Maybe he and several of his classmates knew when they walked off the field in Scott Stadium for the last time last November that it wasn’t really the end. But for Mandy Alonso, it’s clear that there’s a sense of urgency heading into his (truly) final year as a Wahoo.
And it’s also clear that the team shares that same appreciation for what’s ahead and what’s at stake.
Alonso—for the first time in his career—was chosen by Shawn Griswold last week to break the rock, the ceremonial ending of summer conditioning.
“It meant a lot because this offseason, I worked my butt off,” Alonso said after. “I got into black and I worked really hard. I’m glad that it paid off but it hasn’t really paid off yet because I want to kill it this season. But I’m starting to see the fruits of my labor, ya know?”
The work he put in is directly related to the reality of his situation: This is it. And with that in mind, he wasn’t going to treat this offseason like it was just some other year because it’s not.
“I definitely looked at this offseason as my last go around and I knew that I needed to give it my all,” he explained. “I really just brought a different mindset to each workout instead of just going through the motions and just kind of trying to get to the season.”
For linebacker Nick Jackson, eligibility isn’t a concern heading into the start of training camp. But instead, UVa’s lone selection on the preseason All-ACC team is doing his absolute best to reach his lofty potential.
“I was honored,” he said simply. “Honestly, I was honored but preseason All-ACC is just preseason. It’s an honor just to be looked at that way but at the same time, it’s something I’ve got to live up to. It’s something that motivates me every day. I definitely think that there’s more in me.”
Alonso and Jackson both saw the conditioning workouts this summer the same way.
“It’s urgent,” Jackson said when asked about the tone. “We’re urgent right now. Every workout matters. Every rep counts. Every film session, everything you can do, everything matters. We’re on a ticking time clock. Those 32 workouts that we had just flew by like that. So, we’re just excited to get back out here and every day is an honor and every day we’re out here working trying to get better because we know how much each workout means for our season.”
“Guys are giving it their all," he added, "and we’re basically like killing ourselves out here and even after that, later on in the day…guys are coming back out, doing position work, doing film study, getting together and walking through plays.”
It was no surprise to Jackson that it was Alonso that was tabbed to break the rock.
“Mandy’s unbelievable,” Jackson said. “Every workout, if you could watch him you’d be in awe. Honestly, he’s just an unbelievable character and an unbelievable leader. He’s just the person you want on your team and I’m so glad he’s on our side of the ball.”
The Cavaliers are coming off a 5-5 season in which they didn’t have the same sense of urgency nor the results they hoped. That was based in part because they didn’t have the kind of offseason they were able to experience in 2021, the kind of work that Bronco Mendenhall believes is the backbone of his team’s toughness in the fall. They’re hopeful to answer a lot of questions very soon.
Now, just days before the pads and the helmets begin to go on, there is little doubt about what’s ahead.
“We know we’re the defending Coastal champions and that’s what we want,” Jackson said. “We want the Coastal championship back. We want the ACC Championship. We want the cup back. We want a bowl game. We want all that. So, that’s the urgency we’ve had this whole offseason.”
That played out this summer and it left Alonso holding more than just the sledgehammer.
“I loved it,” he said with a smile. “I was just super excited.”
“Now,” Alonso added later, “I’ve got to set the standard for the rest of the team.”
