Alexander Is Center of Attention : Football: Aztec lineman is under the gun to produce this season.

SAN DIEGO â€”  Mike Alexander looks like a center.

He is big. He is fairly tall.

And there is a red welt across the bridge of his nose, between his eyes, that comes from too many blocks, too many head-butts, and the resulting friction between the pads in his helmet and his skin.

The welt wasn’t as prominent last season, when Alexander sat on the San Diego State bench and waited for his future.

But days turned into weeks, and weeks to months, and now it is a spring in his life.

He is a marked man, and not just because of the welt. Now, through two weeks of spring football, Alexander is the leading candidate to replace Kevin Macon, SDSU’s second-team all-Western Athletic Conference center.

“Everything is going pretty good right now,� Alexander said. “I’m trying to work hard and not take anything for granted.

“We have a pretty deep offensive line. There’s a lot of talent, a lot of competition.�

It’s a different kind of feeling for Alexander, a 6-foot-3, 260-pounder who will be a junior in the fall. Last season, he showed up at practices knowing he was far enough down on the depth chart that the team would not suffer if he eased up every so often.

This spring? He finds his stomach churning each afternoon about 2.

“I’m nervous before every practice,� he said. “Coming in knowing I have a shot, I’m nervous. I keep second-guessing myself. Am I good enough? Will I be good enough? Will the coaches be happy with me?

“I hope I do good all the time. I hope I do good enough for them. I just want to show them I will work hard.�

With Macon anchoring the offensive line last season, the Aztecs finished sixth in the nation in total offense and were invited to the Freedom Bowl.

But Macon’s eligibility expired, and Bob Shults, Macon’s backup, transferred. Suddenly, opportunity beckoned Alexander.

Spring is the time when players jockey for depth chart position, and the spotlight has been on Alexander and the rest of the Aztec offensive line this week because three candidates are missing.

Carlson Leomiti, who started 11 games at strong guard last season, has not been cleared to practice because of a weight problem. Louie Zumstein, who figured into SDSU’s tackle rotation last season, is not yet full speed because of off-season ankle surgery. And Aaron Mertens, a redshirt freshman who figured to give Alexander competition at center, suffered a pulled hamstring and, while undergoing rehabilitation for that, suffered a pulled hip flexor.

“We’re not running the football as well as we can right now,� SDSU Coach Al Luginbill said. “We have some people at different spots in the offensive line, and we’re lacking Leomiti, Zumstein and Mertens.�

Without Mertens, Alexander’s competition at center is coming from David Cole, a 6-5, 270-pound sophomore; and Burton Ewert, a 6-7, 250-pound sophomore. Like Alexander, both Cole and Ewert were reserves last season.

“We may put David back at guard after this week if Ewert keeps coming,� Luginbill said. “We’re looking to get the eight or nine best players (on the offensive line) and then move them around.�

And for now, Luginbill said, Alexander is SDSU’s best at center.

“He does some real nice things,� Luginbill said. “He’s got good feet, he is intelligent and he is extremely strong.�

The primary responsibility which Alexander must learn is that of calling the blocking schemes for the SDSU offensive line. Quarterback David Lowery calls the plays in the huddle and then, as the Aztecs approach the ball to line up, Alexander must check the defensive alignment and make the offensive line’s call.

“If I don’t make the right call, it messes everyone else up--they block the wrong way,� Alexander said.

Alexander usually gets his call from checking out the position of the nose guard.

“It’s all relatively easy, but you have to know the different formations,� he said. “This spring, we’re running just two defenses. During the season, they will change a lot.�

Macon has been stopping by nearly every afternoon, giving Alexander tips and trying to help him through the spring.

“He’s been to practice every day but one,� Alexander said. “He’s a good influence. He makes me feel good about things and has helped me out a lot.�

Alexander, from Banning High in Wilmington, visited Arizona State, Iowa State, Cal and Washington State before settling on SDSU. He even signed a letter of intent with Arizona State before changing his mind.

“I liked the area,� he said of SDSU. “I wanted to be closer to home. I didn’t want to be right next to home, but I wanted to be able to go home on weekends.�

So home is less than a two-hour drive, and fall camp is less than a spring away.

With a schedule that includes USC, UCLA, Brigham Young and Miami, and with Marshall Faulk running behind them, Alexander and his offensive line mates will need every advantage they can get.

“It will be very important to get off to a good start and beat a top 25 team,� Alexander said. “And everyone is gong to be looking (at Faulk).

“It won’t be easy living up to expectations. It just depends on how hard we work as a team.�

No, it will not be an easy year to be an Aztec offensive lineman.

But then, it has the potential to be one of the most interesting years an SDSU offensive lineman has been through in a long time.

For now, Alexander will just keep his attention focused on center. Welts and all.