LORMAN &045; The coaches and players have a special nickname for Antonio Wallace, Alcorn’s new strength and conditioning coach.

&uot;We call him Antonio ‘Muscle Beach’ Wallace,&uot; Alcorn head football coach Johnny Thomas said. &uot;You take one look at him and you know why. He’s so emphatic about what he does.&uot;

Wallace was a graduate assistant with the football team last season and was recently hired to be the school’s first ever full-time strength and conditioning coach. His duties are simple &045; make players stronger, faster and better prepared to play their sport.

During the summer, that means a lot of work with the Braves football team in preparation for the season this fall.

&uot;Basically I just prepare these guys physically and mentally for the upcoming season,&uot; Wallace said Thursday during a weight training session with members of the football team. &uot;We want to be bigger, stronger and faster and prevent injuries.&uot;

Wallace played football at fellow Southwestern Athletic Conference school Alabama A&M, finishing up his eligibility in 2003. After briefly exploring his options for playing professional football, Wallace went back into strength and conditioning, something he had started doing while still in school with Alabama coach James Hester.

&uot;I love the game of football,&uot; Wallace said. &uot;Once I finished my eligibility, I tried pro football. I did a bunch of tryouts, but nothing stuck. I wanted to stay around the game and I had always loved preparing for the season.&uot;

Wallace found out about the opportunity to work at Alcorn and leaped at the chance.

&uot;The chance to have my own program was great,&uot; Wallace said.

Wallace has big plans for his future, though Alcorn is certainly first in his mind right now.

&uot;I want to do strength and conditioning. Hopefully once I’ve fulfilled my goals, won a few championships, I’ll have a chance to move on and start my own training business,&uot; Wallace said. &uot;I love this. It’s not work to me.&uot;

For now though, Wallace is doing his best to prepare the Braves. Wallace said he tries to be a motivator and friend to the players.

&uot;I’m just whatever they need,&uot; Wallace said. &uot;I’m not much older than these guys, so I hope they can see me as a friend if that’s what they need.&uot;

And in that capacity, it seems like he’s succeeding.

&uot;There’s never an offseason. We’re always working, getting some good strength and conditioning heading toward the season,&uot; Alcorn fullback Ken Williams said. &uot;(Wallace) is good at motivation. He just motivates us to work here, pumps us up.&uot;

Thomas said Wallace’s motivational work has been very important.

&uot;He’s brought an energy, enthusiasm and fire that we needed from someone in that position,&uot; Thomas said. &uot;He’s done an outstanding job.&uot;

But Wallace doesn’t just work on athlete’s strength and conditioning. He also works on rehabilitation with injured athletes and with regular students at the university.

&uot;I do health and fitness work with students,&uot; Wallace said.

Wallace’s days are full this time of year. He gets up early &045; that is, 4:30 a.m. &045; for a run with the guys. Then it’s weight room sessions in the morning and afternoon before heading home.

Waking up for 5:45 a.m. training runs doesn’t bother Antonio Wallace. After all, he’s got a special alarm clock in the house these days. Son Ethan, born in February, keeps Wallace and his wife Lakeesha on their toes.

&uot;He’s kept me up most of the night, so getting up at 4:30 doesn’t bother me,&uot; Wallace said. &uot;He prepared me for this. I get up and I’m raring to go.&uot;

Thomas said Wallace has already made a noticeable improvement in the Alcorn players.

&uot;Since he started working with them, I’ve seen the difference in their overall strength and their conditioning,&uot; Wallace said. &uot;I’ve also seen a chance in their attitude toward the offseason work.&uot;

Thomas said one of Wallace’s greatest strengths is that he often does the same workout his players are doing.

&uot;He brings a practical component to his work,&uot; Thomas said. &uot;He does everything they do, the runs, the work in the weight room. It’s not like he’s some 500-pound guy telling them what to do. When he’s doing it, they don’t have an alternative to getting it done.&uot;