BY DON WILLIAMS | AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Not quite two years ago, Alex Torres broke his hand in Air Force basic training. Maybe it was a lucky break for the Texas Tech football team.

Torres’ play has been one of the pleasant developments of the Red Raiders’ spring practice. Lining up in the same position as departed two-time All-American Mike Crabtree, Torres has gotten a lot of snaps and, for the time being at least, a spot in the two-deep flanker.

“I couldn’t be happier with the way everything’s worked,’’ he said this week. “You go through a little bit of adversity to get where you want to be. So the way I look at it now, I try not to worry about where I would be if everything would’ve gone the way it should have, because this is better than I could ever imagine.’’

Torres, a 2006 El Paso Franklin graduate, started out at the Air Force Academy prep school. The course of his career was altered a year later. On an early morning run through the woods in basic training, Torres didn’t see a log in his path, tripped and fractured a hand that had been broken once before.

“I landed on the same spot that I had hurt it in football, and both bones snapped again,’’ he said.

That was in July 2007. Unable to complete basic training, Torres said he was sent home and told to return the next year, but he was too impatient for that. Thinking a year away would hurt his progress in football, Torres searched for a new home and showed up at Tech in February 2008.

This spring, his third semester in the program, he’s gaining attention.

When the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Torres snagged 31- and 14-yard touchdown passes in a scrimmage on Monday, Tech coach Mike Leach said he would be the starter if there were a game coming up. Wide receivers coach Dennis Simmons seconded that opinion Wednesday.

“Great,’’ Simmons summed up Torres’ play. “I think he attacks the ball well. He’s been awesome during spring.’’

Torres still is vulnerable to hard knocks. His workout Friday ended early. He came up with a nasty cut in his mouth, and it bled profusely, when he got tackled out of bounds after a catch.

The competition for playing time will get more crowded as the Raiders move beyond April. Lyle Leong, who has been out all spring, has experience at both split end, where he started nine games last year, and flanker. Talented freshman Eric Ward also is at flanker, though coaches are taking time to teach him the offense, leaving most of the snaps right now to Torres and Jacoby Franks.

Nevertheless, Torres’ resume suggests he could be a good investment. In 2004, his junior season at Franklin, Torres caught 73 passes for 1,324 yards, making third team on one all-state team and honorable mention on another. His team went 10-2, beating Coronado in bi-district and losing to Midland in area.

Moved to quarterback the next year, Torres was District 1-5A most valuable player, leading Franklin to an 11-2 season and the 5A Division I state quarterfinals. In a second-round playoff game, Torres led the Cougars back from a 28-0 deficit to beat Mansfield Summit, 41-38.

The Cougars ran spread formations throughout Torres’ career, which benefits him now.

“Our (Franklin) coaches came up to the coaching clinic here, got a lot of film and stuff like that and tried to mimic (Tech’s) offense,’’ Torres said. “So this actually is a great fit, because I was able to work at it (in high school) at receiver, (in high school) at quarterback. It makes it a little bit easier.’’

One of the things Torres gave up when he left Colorado Springs, Colo., for Lubbock was getting his school paid for.

“It definitely makes it harder. Actually, a lot harder,’’ he said. “I had a summer job. I work when I can. Luckily, I have two wonderful parents that help me out and back me up in every decision. With their support, I was able to do it, no problem. I just hope to keep working at what I can and then hopefully everything will pay off in the end.’’

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