| No. 12 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Personal information | |
| Born | February 16, 1995 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Venice High School (Los Angeles, California) |
| College |
|
| Stats at ESPN | |
Alexander Diamont [1] (born February 16, 1995) is an American former college football player who was a quarterback for the Indiana Hoosiers.
Diamont attended and played football at Venice High School in Los Angeles. [2]
After starting quarterback Nate Sudfeld suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the game against Iowa, [3] [4] Diamont was named the new starter over fellow backup Chris Covington [5] and started in the last six games of the season, passing for one touchdown and four interceptions. He rushed for an additional two touchdowns, including a game-winning score with 27 seconds remaining against rival Purdue. [2] A photograph of Diamont celebrating the win over Purdue by smoking a cigar while holding the Old Oaken Bucket in the locker room went viral, earning Diamont comparisons to former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel [6] and public congratulations from actor Adam Sandler, whose film Anger Management also included Diamont's father Don Diamont in a small acting role. [7]
Diamont played in two games in 2015, again in relief of Sudfeld, who missed time with an ankle injury. [8] He rushed for two touchdowns, including a 79-yard rushing touchdown against Ohio State, the longest rush by a quarterback in Hoosiers history. Sudfeld returned to the starting lineup in time for the Pinstripe Bowl against Duke. [2]
Diamont passed for one touchdown and one interception in eight games, rushing for an additional four touchdowns. [2]
At the conclusion of the 2016 regular season, Diamont announced that he would retire from football after Indiana's upcoming bowl game, citing concerns about brain injuries in football [9] [10] and admitting that he had sustained a high number of concussions in his career. [11]
He would start in the Foster Farms Bowl against Utah, his last football game. [2]
Diamont is Jewish. [12] After graduating from Indiana University Bloomington, Diamont claimed that one of his football coaches, who knew of Diamont's Jewish ancestry, referred to Adolf Hitler as a "great leader" in a conversation about leadership that included Diamont. Diamont did not specify which coach made the remark; head coach Kevin Wilson was dismissed from the program after Diamont's final season amid allegations of mistreatment of players. [13] [14]
Diamont is the son of soap opera actor Don Diamont and the stepson of actress Cindy Ambuehl. [1] [15] His brother Luca played quarterback for the Duke Blue Devils. [16]
Diamont returned to Los Angeles after graduating from Indiana and became a real estate agent selling luxury properties. [16] [17] In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the real estate market, he moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, where he co-founded a real estate development company specializing in luxury tiny homes. [18]