7  Donnell Alexander Class: RS Sophomore Hometown: Kansas City, Mo. High School: Blue Springs South Height / Weight: 5-11 / 205 Position: RB Experience: 1L

Career Division I games played/started: 9/6 (9/6 in 2012).

2012 (Freshman): Concluded the 2012 campaign as the Rams leading rusher (587), while logging six starts. Also recorded at least one catch in eight of the nine games he played in. Finished the year hauling in 17 catches for 155 yards.

• Began the 2012 season as Chris Nwoke's backup but an ankle injury to Nwoke moved him up to the No. 1 back.
• In his first career start against North Dakota State (Sept. 8), rushed for 59 yards, the most by a CSU freshman in their first start since 1993.
• Prior to the home victory over UNLV (Nov. 10), represented the offense as a weekly team captain. Alexander was one of three freshmen to receive the captain honor in 2012.
• Rushed for 110-plus yards on three separate occasions in 2012. On the road against Wyoming (Nov. 3) he rushed for 114 yards, the next weekend vs. UNLV (Nov. 10) he galloped for a career-high 139 yards and two scores and in the season finale against New Mexico (Nov. 24) ran for 112 yards and a TD.
• His season rushing total of 587 yards is the fifth most by a freshman at CSU. The last time a Rams freshman running back rushed for 500-plus yards in a season was in 1995 (Damon Washington).

2011: Redshirted as a true freshman in his first season of college eligibility.

High School: A four-year letterman that played for three schools in the Kansas City area, combined to rush for more than 7,000 yards, average 8.8 yards per carry, and score 95 touchdowns...Garnered first-team all-conference honors three consecutive seasons, from 2007-09, and second-team honors as a senior ...Also earned all-state accolades after his sophomore and junior campaigns...Moved to Blue Springs South prior to his senior year and served as the Jaguars' No. 2 tailback, behind a first-team all-state performer, but still scored 18 touchdowns and rushed for nearly 1,000 yards in only nine games; also played fullback and strong safety for a team that lost in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual state champion...Earned the HyVee Athlete of the Week from KSHB-TV after rushing for 209 yards and two TDs in a Week 5 victory...Led Grandview (Mo.) High School to the state semifinals in 2009, when he found the end zone 30 times, rushed for better than 1,500 yards and topped 2,000 yards from scrimmage...As a sophomore, played for two schools, Grandview and Olathe (Kan.) East, and combined for 2,700 rushing yards and 21 TDs, helping GHS to an 8-4 record and a berth in the state semifinals... Key in Grandview's 9-3 season as a freshman in 2008, when he piled up 1,876 rushing yards and 26 TDs, helped the team to the state semifinals...A three-year captain...Had a 4.41-second 40-yard dash, a 355-pound bench press and 38-inch vertical leap...Also played basketball and ran track, lettering in basketball as a freshman and sophomore at Grandview...An honor-roll student, had a 3.2 GPA at the time of his signing...Head football coaches were Greg Oder (BSSHS) and Ron Freeman (GHS)...Also recruited by Arkansas, Nebraska, Miami (Fla.), Utah, Kansas State, Iowa and North Dakota State.

Personal: Given name Donnell Joseph Alexander... Born Jan. 24, 1993, in Kansas City, Mo. ...Son of Kim Alexander and the late Derrick Thomas...Has one older sister ...Father, who still holds the NFL's single-game record with seven sacks, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009 after an 11-year career with the Kansas City Chiefs, who made him the fourth overall selection in the 1989 NFL Draft, out of Alabama...Interested in a career in sports medicine after his playing days...Majoring in communication studies at CSU...Hometown: Kansas City, Mo.