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Hernando Today

NCT's Relentless Leader

Photo by JOE DiCRISTOFALO

Shark senior linebacker Alfredo Lindo, an All-County football selection, paced NCT in tackles and intensity in 2007.

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: September 4, 2008

Updated: 09/04/2008 08:45 am

Mention Alfredo Lindo, and the adjectives roll off the tongue of Nature Coast Head Coach Jamie Joyner.
"A relentless kid," Joyner said. "Incredible work ethic, he's a leader on defense. Lindo embodies our whole defensive philosophy of what we want to do with the ball."
What does the defensive coordinator, Charles Liggett, think of the senior linebacker?
"When he's on the field, you don't have to think about him," Liggett said. "You don't have to worry about somebody running a counter (to his side). He understands how to play."
Yet ask the man himself, and he provides a far more toned-down reaction.
"I see myself as another piece in the puzzle in where we want the program to be at," Lindo said. "We want to be known as one of the pinnacle powers in the area. I want to be able to come back when I graduate and see what I took root in."
Lindo, a 5-foot-11, 189-pound "will" linebacker, doesn't grab the headlines of someone like All-State cornerback Michael Fields. However, his coaches clearly hold him in high regard.
After all, the 17-year-old son of Brooksville's Oscar and Miriam Lindo paced the 7-4 Sharks in tackles last season with 127, including 58 solos and 69 assists, both team highs.
He also caused and recovered a team-best three fumbles and added a team-high 20 quarterback pressures.
Additionally he broke up three passes, and even recorded one sack and an interception, pacing a team that permitted just 16.5 points per game, finishing second in Class 3A, District 6 and advancing to the regional playoffs for a second straight season.
"He demands 100 percent out of himself and everybody on defense," Joyner said. "That's what separates him. D.J. Williams is our emotional leader. He's more vocal. But Lindo is a guy they look to. He's critical at the position he's playing."

Hating second place

So what makes Lindo so hard on himself?
"I hate coming in second place," Lindo said. "I hate not winning. I hate when something beats me. I don't take it well. So I keep it as a motivation."
"He doesn't like to fail," Liggett said. "He doesn't like when things go wrong. He takes it a lot worse than we (the coaches) do."
Based on experience, Lindo shouldn't have to worry too much about things going wrong for the Shark defense.
Nature Coast returns seven starters on that side of the ball, including all four linebackers. Three other seniors join Lindo in the linebacking corps: Howie Williams, Tadd Govedich and Britt Langley.
"We're all very familiar with each other. We're real comfortable playing with each other," Lindo said. "We're the ones that get the team hyped up for every play."
Lindo sports a 3.6 GPA and has dreams of playing college ball. He said he spent all summer getting ready for this season, spending time in the weight room almost every day.
He wants to repeat as the leading tackler, but he has greater goals for the team.
"I expect nothing less than getting deeper in the playoffs and chasing a state championship," Lindo said. "It's going to take playing as a team, staying disciplined, working hard everyday. Stick through it, play our hearts out and practice our hearts out."

BY THE NUMBERS: ALFREDO LINDO
YR           SOLO     ASST     TTK        TFL         SK           QBP        CF           FR           BLK        PB           INT
2006        16            26            42            4              2.0           0              0              0              0              1              1*
2007        58*          69*          127*        6              1.0           20*          3*            3*            1*            3              1
TOTAL  74            95            169          10            3.0           20            3              3              1              4              2
* Denotes team leader

Sports writer Chris Bernhardt Jr. can be reached at (352) 544-5288 or cbernhardt@hernandotoday.com.

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