BILLINGS — Just one glance at the left arm of AJ Alfons and you’ll get a picture for who he is.
“I'm actually Micronesian. It's out in the Pacific. Not a lot of people know about it. It's by Guam," Alfons said. "My (tattoos), they represent a lot about me. I'm not the oldest, but I try to take myself as the oldest, so a bunch of my tats talk about leadership and a guy that provides for everyone else, too."
The offensive center for No. 3-ranked Billings West is proud to carry his heritage on the gridiron, where he’s able to represent his family through his relentless effort.
“Growing up, life was not that easy. Just going back, loving my mom and what they did for me. My mom sacrificed a lot of things for me. My dad, he wasn't really home because he was working every night. You just have to remember and come back to that," Alfons said.
“I think (offensive line is) the most unselfish position in all of sports. The only time we notice them is when they get a penalty," Billings West coach Rob Stanton said. "The most unselfish group of kids in our program is the offensive line. That's why we let them cut line when they eat. That's one privilege they will have, is when we eat they get to go to the front."
Alfons wasn’t initially pegged for a ton of playing time along the West offensive line, but he ran with an opportunity that presented itself in Week 1 and he hasn’t looked back.
“His personality, his sense of humor, his work ethic — he's probably not the biggest or tallest person you'll see on the field, but he plays like it," Stanton said. "He's a really good leader for our team and we're happy that he's taken a big role in our team right now, too."
Alfons has been a catalyst for one of the state’s top offenses and the Golden Bears will continue to lean on his leadership and motor in pursuit of a Class AA playoff run.
