Amadeo West

Classroom

West is a sociology major, minoring in diversity and inclusion. His status as a role model and leader goes beyond the football team, as he holds a leadership position within West Point’s Corps of Cadets, serving as the Diversity and Inclusion officer for his company. He has been very involved as a leader in the Corps, as much as his football schedule has allowed.

He won Conqueror of the Week for Fourth Regiment and was recognized in front of the whole Corps of Cadets for leading a discussion racism and discrimination during a study date. West has branched field artillery and will be joining the 82nd Airbone Division in Fort Bragg, N.C. in January, as commissioned second lieutenant in the United States Army.

Character

West is a team captain during the 2020-21 season. He has overcome three season-ending injuries and fought back stronger each time. He has never left his team while rehabbing, as he was always a presence and someone his teammates could count on. He learned to lead in other ways, such as having a smile on his face, caring for his teammates, and influencing through the way he handled himself.

West is a member of the Company A4 bible study group. He wanted to come back to compete in his final semester of eligibility because he felt he had unfinished business with the program. He had the opportunity to graduate in June and get physical fitness requirements for the Academy waived due to COVID, allowing him to start his career in the Army. Instead, West put all of that off to come back, work on his degree, and take the physical requirements and serve as a leader for his team.

“West took complete control of this team and put them on his back. He’s been one of, if not the most, dynamic leaders as an athlete that I’ve ever encountered in my career. He just has a tremendous ability to get people motivated and inspired to play for something much bigger than themselves. It’s all because of his attitude and the effort that he put into getting healthy each time that he was injured.”
- Head Coach Jeff Monken

Community

West volunteered weekly at Caesar Chavez Middle School in his hometown Oceanside, Caliofrnia. He handed out lunches during quarantine at the school.

West is the company commander of the first-ever football company at the academy, during the summer that leader to social changes that included USMA’s first Honorable Day of Living. He serves as the Diversity and Inclusive Officer for Company C4, and is active in the Corps of Cadets community at West Point.

Competition

Head Coach Jeff Monken has called West the best leader that he has been around in his 32 years of coaching college football.

West has started all seven games in the 2020-21 season at DE for the Black Knights, tallying 15 tackles on the season. He had a career high seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss vs the Citadel.

He has played in 20 career games during his injury-plagued career, making 45 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and two pass breakups. West also played linebacker his first three seasons before moving over to defensive line this season under new DC Nate Woody.