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Camp Kyle 2024: Damien Alford Q&A
8/10/2024 8:30 AM | Football
SALT LAKE CITY - We are under three weeks away from kickoff as the Utah Football team is continuing Fall camp, leading up to the season opener on August 29 against Southern Utah. Throughout camp, UtahUtes.com continues to visit with returners, newcomers and coaches to find out what the Utes are talking about this fall.
Damien Alford joins a wide receiver room composed of talented returners and newcomers alike. A transfer from Syracuse, Alford grew up in Montreal before playing high school football in Florida. During his four seasons in the ACC, Alford tallied 67 receptions and 1,291 yards with seven touchdowns. He capped off his time at Syracuse as a captain in 2023.
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Q: How's everything going settling in to Utah?
A: "The transition has been smooth so far. I'm still using a GPS to find my way around Salt Lake so I don't get lost—but I love it here. The scenery, the guys, the coaches; everything feels right here."
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Q: Have you ever seen any kind of mountains like around here?
A: "I'm from Montreal—so we do have mountains out there. But so close that you can see, like here in Salt Lake? Not quite. They were too far away to see."
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Q: What should people know about growing up playing football in Canada?
A: "Initially, I started playing at 12 or 13 years old. The rules are a little different in Canada. The field is bigger, the end zone is bigger. Getting used to the field in the United States was a big thing for me. But being fortunate enough to play for Team Canada, that helped me adapt—we played a game in Dallas. Being able to play a game like that, then coming to the States to play in Florida that year helped me acclimate to American football. Then going into college, it was a transition but nothing too crazy for me. I just wanted to come out and play football."
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Q: How would you describe yourself as a player?
A: "The fans need to know that I'm going to come out and give my 100% every game. I take blocking to heart. I'm a big receiver, so it's pretty keen to me to be that receiver that's going to block. I can also make big catches, and make plays when it's time to make plays. Just try to be a well-rounded football player."
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Talk a little about the group in the wide receiver room.
A: "I get along with every single guy in that room. They taught me the playbook. They made sure when we were running routes, that I was running correctly. I'm really appreciative of the guys. They are the guys who influenced me to come to Utah."
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Q: Being from Canada, what would you cook for a team meal?
A: "I would say two things. In addition to being from Canada, my parents are from the Caribbean. On the Caribbean side, I would say oxtail rice and peas, or macaroni pie. On the Quebec side, obviously have to go with poutine. Some guys on the team have never heard about poutine. I mentioned it in the locker room and they didn't know what it was. When I showed them they said it looked kind of weird—but I promise if they taste it, they'd understand why it's such a big thing out there."
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Damien Alford joins a wide receiver room composed of talented returners and newcomers alike. A transfer from Syracuse, Alford grew up in Montreal before playing high school football in Florida. During his four seasons in the ACC, Alford tallied 67 receptions and 1,291 yards with seven touchdowns. He capped off his time at Syracuse as a captain in 2023.
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Q: How's everything going settling in to Utah?
A: "The transition has been smooth so far. I'm still using a GPS to find my way around Salt Lake so I don't get lost—but I love it here. The scenery, the guys, the coaches; everything feels right here."
Â
Q: Have you ever seen any kind of mountains like around here?
A: "I'm from Montreal—so we do have mountains out there. But so close that you can see, like here in Salt Lake? Not quite. They were too far away to see."
Â
Q: What should people know about growing up playing football in Canada?
A: "Initially, I started playing at 12 or 13 years old. The rules are a little different in Canada. The field is bigger, the end zone is bigger. Getting used to the field in the United States was a big thing for me. But being fortunate enough to play for Team Canada, that helped me adapt—we played a game in Dallas. Being able to play a game like that, then coming to the States to play in Florida that year helped me acclimate to American football. Then going into college, it was a transition but nothing too crazy for me. I just wanted to come out and play football."
Â
Q: How would you describe yourself as a player?
A: "The fans need to know that I'm going to come out and give my 100% every game. I take blocking to heart. I'm a big receiver, so it's pretty keen to me to be that receiver that's going to block. I can also make big catches, and make plays when it's time to make plays. Just try to be a well-rounded football player."
Â
Talk a little about the group in the wide receiver room.
A: "I get along with every single guy in that room. They taught me the playbook. They made sure when we were running routes, that I was running correctly. I'm really appreciative of the guys. They are the guys who influenced me to come to Utah."
Â
Q: Being from Canada, what would you cook for a team meal?
A: "I would say two things. In addition to being from Canada, my parents are from the Caribbean. On the Caribbean side, I would say oxtail rice and peas, or macaroni pie. On the Quebec side, obviously have to go with poutine. Some guys on the team have never heard about poutine. I mentioned it in the locker room and they didn't know what it was. When I showed them they said it looked kind of weird—but I promise if they taste it, they'd understand why it's such a big thing out there."
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Players Mentioned
WR
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