Alonzo Addae Preparing to Make His Debut/First Start as a Mountaineer

Free safety Alonzo Addae will make his Mountaineer debut on Saturday in the season opener against Eastern Kentucky and sits atop the depth chart heading into week one.

The redshirt senior made his way to Morgantown after spending his first three seasons at the University of New Hampshire. He appeared in 25 games and started seven before transferring to West Virginia last year.

Addae’s cousin, Jahmile Addae, once roamed the secondary as a hard-hitting safety and a four-year starter from 2001-2005 for the Mountaineers earning two-time captain and two-time All-Big East defensive back and is now the assistant head coach (cornerbacks) at West Virginia.

That was the connection that got Alonzo Addae on campus. He had to sit out his first year to fulfill NCAA transfer eligibility requirements and played an essential role on the scout team.

“Alonzo spent the last year on the scout team and really playing everybody’s best defensive back rover, and I think that’s really good teaching," said Addae. “It just allows him to get beat up by some of the guys playing on our premier team and really just showing that really he belonged and I think he earned a lot of respect going down there and sort of, giving a look and really doing an elite job at it.”

Addae added, “That’s the one thing that we ask is no matter what the job is that we ask you to do, do it to the best of your ability. I think Zo went down last year on scout team and was able to do so.”

Alonzo’s humble beginnings at New Hampshire is what coach Addae believes that drives him.

“I do know he comes from a situation in which it ‘wasn’t as advantaged as this one,” said coach Addae. “So, he has a bit of gratefulness that maybe some other guys may not have or a bit of an appreciation that some guys may take this for granted. He’s come with a different hunger. I’ve been excited to see him work.”

Alonzo is working under safeties coach Dontae Wright. For coach Addae, he’s trying to stay out of his way, saying, “I try not to coach him because I know I can probably be a little bit harder on my own than I would be on anyone else,” and credits Wright for doing “a heck of a job with him.”

“Zo’s done a really good job of learning the defense and really honing in on what it is that he does well and what he doesn’t do well. I think that’s important as a player to know both, and he’s done a heck of a job with that.”

West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky will kickoff this Saturday at noon on FS1.

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