This time last year, Alfred Blue was preparing for the NFL Draft. Now, after a successful rookie campaign where he shattered several team records, Blue isn't taking his foot off the gas anytime soon.
Blue returned to LSU this spring, working towards finishing up classes for his degree.
"I had a lot of downtime, went back home and got back into school taking an online class trying to get my degree in sports administration," Blue said in an interview with Texans Radio on Tuesday. "Just spending time with my little brothers and sisters and my mom, it was a real good time."
After being away for an NFL season, it's been a bit of an adjustment returning to school. The 23-year-old running back admits the experience is vastly different this time around now that most of his friends and former teammates are gone.
"Everybody you went to school with is pretty much gone," Blue said. "The underclassmen are probably coming out this year. When you go back, it's like everything is new to you. It's like you're starting from ground zero again. You've just got to be focused and go in there and know what you're trying to do."
His work these days isn't just limited to school either. With offseason workouts beginning on April 20, Blue is also busy conditioning and preparing for his second season with the Texans. In 2014, Blue rushed for 528 yards, the fourth-highest total for a rookie rusher in franchise history, but he wants to be better.
"I think it went pretty well," Blue said of his 2014 performance. "I think I flashed at times. I think I could prove a lot more on different things, catching the ball out of the backfield, picking up blitzes on third down. That's my overall goal: to be a three-down back. That's going to be my main focus going into this season."
Last year, Blue became the first player in franchise history with a rushing, receiving, and return touchdown in the same season. Blue also set a franchise record for carries in a game with 36 and tied a rookie rushing record with 156 yards in Week 11 at Cleveland.
