Iconic Memory - Mustangs linebacker looks to add more in senior slate

Jalen Portis's thoughts of Dec. 4, 2021, are centered around one play.

"(Former linebacker) Tyler (Wingert of Holstein, Iowa) had alerted me that a Northwestern wide receiver was tight to the line, and (rising junior) Lonell (Boyd of St. Louis, Mo.) told me to keep my eyes focused in the middle of the field," the rising senior from St. Louis, Mo., recalled. "I saw their quarterback drop back and fire a pass over the middle, and I stepped in front of it. I heard the crowd roar."

"Honestly though, I couldn't have done that or reached any of my other accomplishments without my teammates," he added. "I just love being around these guys on and off the field. We are always helping each other."

That play helped the eventual 2022 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics champions move past their perennial Great Plains Athletic Conference rivals in the semifinals, paving the chance to Dance to Durham.

Portis' path to Sioux City has a strong Mustangs teammates connection, too. 

"Lonell and I played in the same Junior Football League in St. Louis," he noted. "Dijon Walls, who is also on the team here, was a teammate of mine in high school." 

"The three of us kept in close contact after completing our junior college careers," he added. "Dijon did opt for another school but eventually came here. Lonell was in the transfer portal, and I spoke to him about Morningside, too. (Former assistant) Coach (Darius) Hicks played a big role in getting us all together." 

The St. Louis duo of Boyd, Jr., and Portis has paid huge dividends for head coach Steve Ryan's defense. Portis was a second team all-GPAC honoree, and Boyd picked up first team all-league honors.

Ryan and co-coordinators Casey Jacobsen and Nathan Turner hope for even more from both of them and Walls, among the new arrivals - something which suits Portis just fine.

"I want the leadership experience," Portis admitted. "I learned so much from other veteran guys, so it's my turn to display those same traits on and off the field for the younger players this fall. I love everything about football. We all have fun on and off the field, as we have a good chemistry together. I can't wait for the new season - I feel like big things are headed our way."

"Just being at Morningside has meant so much," he added. "It has helped develop me into a better man. I like the small and close-knit community here, as you can get to know pretty much everyone.:"

Portis' Mustangs resume includes back-to-back 60-plus-tackle seasons, a combined seven sacks and a combined five takeaways. Pretty good standards for a Midwesterner who thought basketball might be his lifetime sport.

"From the time I was about four years old, I was a big basketball player," he remembered. "I had watched football on TV and saw guys hitting other players - It was legal! I asked my dad about playing, but he said I needed to wait until I was six or seven." 

"Once I got the chance, I made the most of it," he added. "The team I was on in the JFL won several championships. I played tight end and defensive end - I even tried out for quarterback."

The rest was history, leading him to that December day at Olson Stadium where his dad was in the stands. "I ran up to him right after I made the play," Portis said. "It was so cool to have him there for that."

Creating a memory to last a lifetime - Portis hopes many more are on the horizon.