Alex Tanney Interview (Monmouth College) QB

Alex Tanney is the starting quarterback for the Monmouth College Flying Scots. The Scots finished last year's campaign ranked 18th in the nation. This past season, Alex Tanney was voted 2nd team All-American by d3football.com. The Buried Athlete had a chance to discuss with Alex his experiences at Monmouth, playing at a professional level, and more.

You were a very successful high school quarterback. Did you know that you are among only a few high school quarterbacks to be part of almost all the Illinois High School Football records?

Yes, I knew that I was included in a few of the records. My father was my high school coach at Lexington and my older brother was a quarterback, so I have always been around the game. The spread offense I ran in high school along with a lot of good players around me helped a lot with those.

What was the most important game in your high school career? Are there any memories you would like to share?

My senior year we were 6-3 heading into the playoffs and made a run to the semi-finals before losing. All of those playoff games and playing with friends that I had grown up with and played together for so long has to be the most memorable part of high school football.

Were you recruited by any Division 1 schools?

I didn't receive a lot of Division I attention coming from such a small 1A high school. Illinois State recruited me and wanted me to be a recruited walk-on but I ultimately decided on Monmouth.

What stuck out the most to you about Monmouth College that influenced your decision to play there?

My brother started at Monmouth for two years so I was at most of his games and on the Monmouth campus a lot which influenced my decision. Coach Bell started recruiting me early in my sophomore and junior year and I wanted to play somewhere I could start for four years. All of those factors led to me coming to Monmouth College.

You were the recipient of the 2009 Melberger Award. You have won several awards, but have never competed in the Stagg Bowl. Do you think Monmouth has what it takes to compete against the likes of Mt. Union and Wisconsin-Whitewater?

Coach Bell and his staff have really built this program up and made it a nationally known program compared to where it was before he came here. Getting to the playoffs is a constant expectation now and I have never played against Mount Union or U-WW, but I think we are heading to a level where we could compete with them. I hope we get a chance to play teams of such caliber next season.

Many websites rank you as one of the best quarterbacks in Division 3 football and even have you ahead of some quarterbacks in Division 1, albeit while you still have one more year of eligibility. Has playing professional football crossed your mind or do you think you will pursue a different career?

Yes, after this past season I realized playing after college is a realistic goal. It was always something that I wanted to do and have dreamt about but never knew if I would be able to. With some teams contacting me and other people that have contacted me, I am hoping to get a shot to continue to play after I graduate. Right now I am focused on the upcoming season and making a deeper run into the playoffs.