ROCHELLE — It wasn’t difficult to find former Rochelle student-athlete Alex Harvey making plays on the football field during his career with the Hubs.

Harvey imposed his will on opponents from both sides of the scrimmage line. The four-year varsity player rushed for over 1,000 yards during his senior season while earning Northern Illinois Big 12 All-Conference Co-MVP honors at inside linebacker. Harvey took his talents to Washington University in St. Louis after graduating RTHS earlier this year, and he’s helped the Bears start the 2018 season 6-2 over their first eight games.

“Playing for Wash-U has been extremely rewarding,” Harvey said. “It’s been a really enjoyable experience and I’m grateful that I can continue playing football. I’m excited for what the future holds. I’ve loved the chance to get to know my new teammates and experience college football.”

Not many college freshmen crack the starting rotation at the Division III level but Harvey has already appeared in seven games at linebacker, recording 16 tackles including a season-high six tackles in Wash-U’s tough loss against No. 5 North Central College on Sept. 15.

Harvey followed up his season-best effort with five total tackles including one-half tackles for loss when the Bears topped Carthage 51-31 on Sept. 22. Wash-U’s season includes an upset of No. 12 Wheaton College (17-10) on Oct. 13.

“I believe I’ve focused in on the details of football since arriving at Wash-U,” Harvey said. “Being able to learn from more experienced linebackers has really helped me further my game, and experiencing a different scheme has helped me to better understand the game. The difference in depth has been something to adjust to.”

Harvey and the Bears will be looking to finish their season strong with games against Millikin University (where Harvey’s father Richard played football and wrestled) and Carroll University over the next two weekends. Harvey, a two-time state wrestling medalist in high school, said that working against a pass-first, high-tempo offense in practice has been one of his biggest adjustments since graduating RTHS. He’s also adjusting to playing one way as opposed to two.

“Working alongside a pass-first, high-tempo offense has been a major adjustment since the defense is often on the field longer than the offense,” Harvey said. “Playing one way has been an adjustment, but I’ve learned to trust the guys on the other side of the ball. I’m looking forward to making more of an impact on defense in the future.”