WARRIOR MENTALITY

Niang A Force On The Field And The Mat

WARRIOR+MENTALITY

In a room full of fierce yells and cries of determination, Alassane Niang remains quiet. As he sizes up his opponent, he shuffles around on the sweaty mat before swiftly lunging forward with aggression. After another ten minutes of relentless fighting, Niang’s coach calls the match, with Niang victorious. All of this less than 24 hours after a Highland football game on a Friday night, but Niang ignores his aching muscles and pushes through in order to attend his father’s Saturday morning karate class.

Four years ago Niang put on a football jersey for the first time and now he is capturing the attention of college scouts as he goes into his senior year at Highland. After attending football camps at Harvard, Dartmouth, UCLA, and Utah this summer, Niang has already received offers from Weber State and Hawaii.

Growing up in Mali, Africa, Niang was involved in soccer and fairly unfamiliar with the game of football. When he moved to Utah at the age of 7 he continued to play soccer as he adjusted to life in America. Many boys grow up dreaming about getting the chance to play football in college, but for Niang football was not even in the picture until his freshman year of high school.

“I came into high school kind of wanting to play football. Coach Benson sort of forced me into it at the parent meeting, and I told him if my parents let me play I would play for him” Niang said.

It took a little while for Niang’s father to be convinced to let him play football in high school, but when he did Niang immediately stood out as player with potential. Now he is a versatile corner and receiver for Highland and is making a name for himself as more scouts take interest.

About 10 years of intense karate has certainly helped him become the stand out athlete he is today. Niang’s father also plays the role of his karate instructor, and the sport has been a big part of his life for as long as he can remember. As a kid, his father was always pushing him to work harder, which Niang realizes is a huge part of his success.

“I would go home from karate and get the same dad that was my karate instructor. He was harder on me and always had me do more push ups than the other kids, but this helped me become a better person and athlete,” Niang said.

He used to attend karate every day except for Sunday, and in the beginning of his football career karate was still the priority. However, as football is opening up many opportunities for Niang, he only attends karate on Mondays and Saturdays. Yet karate is still a very important part of his life because it is a family tradition and keeps him close to his dad. His favorite aspect of the sport is the physical nature of it, mainly the fighting.

“I’m a very competitive person, and if you say go to karate to fight today… I’ll be there,” Niang said.

A black belt, incredible hand-eye coordination, strength, and agility are only a few of the things Niang has gotten out of the sport. Karate is often seen as an extensive approach to life, as it places a lot of emphasis on physical, mental, and spiritual development. Therefore, karate has been a major contributor to Niang’s self-discipline, work ethic, and respect; and these traits have carried over to the football field. Besides having the most valuable and desirable traits of an athlete, Niang has an even greater love for his teammates and coaches.

“I just really enjoy being around the guys. I love having a big family, a good brotherhood, and always having my teammates and coaches to lean on, knowing they have my back in any situation,” Niang said.

He plays with immense passion and dedication, and never fails to encourage and inspire his teammates. He typically has a quiet and calm demeanor about him, but is a fierce competitor and key motivator. Quarterback John Hunter feels Niang is a major role model and nothing but positive influence on the team.

“Alassane is seriously the most unselfish person and teammate. He could just choose to focus on the scholarships he is being offered but instead he focuses on the team and trying to make the team better. He is definitely a brother to me,” Hunter said.

Not only does Niang excel on the field, but also in the classroom. On top of football and karate, he is in the rigorous IB program, which has taught him how to manage his time efficiently.

“I would say IB is pretty tough, but you can do anything you put your mind to so it’s possible,” Niang said.

As he enters his last year of playing high school football and continues to catch the eye of more college scouts, Niang is simply focused on making this football season the best for his teammates and coaches.

“I look forward to playing well this season but most importantly I want to give back to the coaches by making it into the playoffs and having success there,” Niang said.

Whether it is football, karate, or school, Niang puts his best self forward and lives with immense passion and heart. His drive to be successful in everything he does has only opened endless windows of opportunity, and Niang certainly has a promising future awaiting him.