Alex Twine admits that he doesn’t pray a lot. But every night for two weeks this summer, the Terrapins football outside linebacker got on his knees next to his bed, bowed his head and prayed.

Twine turned to his spiritual side at the suggestion of his parents and high school coach Dave Mencarini after learning that he wouldn’t be starting on defense. The Gaithersburg native, who started nine games over his first two seasons in College Park, would instead be backing up former safety Matt Robinson.

And he needed something — anything really — to get over the disappointment.

”I did it because I knew I needed help; I was really upset,” Twine said. “So I did it for two weeks and started feeling better.”

Twine has since overcome those emotions, saying he realized he should think more about the team than himself. Entering the Terps game at Connecticut tomorrow, Twine isn’t nearly as concerned with his backup status as he once was because he’s found a new niche as a special teams workhorse.

If you were watching the Terps’ 47-10 victory over Old Dominion on Saturday, you probably noticed Twine’s impact. Two of the Terps’ six first-half kickoffs went for touchbacks, but on each of the other four, Twine — who was the team’s special teams captain for the game — made a tackle.

Coach Randy Edsall awarded the special teams game ball to Twine the next day and praised his commitment to special teams. For Twine, who also plays on the kick return and punt coverage units, the special teams workload and expertise doesn’t quite replace his desire to start at linebacker, but it helps.

“I was having fun,” Twine said. “I wasn’t even thinking about playing defense because I felt like making tackles I was still playing defense.”

There are plenty of other players around the nation who are faced with situations similar to Twine’s. College football players invest so much into their teams and into their own careers, so it’s understandably frustrating for experienced, talented players like Twine to be told they aren’t the No. 1 option at their position, to be told they’ll have to back up somebody else.

After all, the majority of these athletes were stars throughout their entire careers leading up to college, so how could you blame them for feeling shattered?

But some of these players take solace in the opportunity to play on special teams and Twine constantly reiterated that being on the field helped him cope with disappointment.

It’s such a complex feeling, Twine couldn’t even describe it completely. But his presence on the kickoff unit keeps him motivated, energized and makes him feel connected with the team. He still has the chance to contribute and battle with his teammates.

“It’s not about me, it’s about the feeling of being on the field, the feeling of making the tackle, the feeling making plays,” Twine said. “You want to help your team out.”

Twine pushes Robinson in practice and he plays several snaps a game on defense, but he’s really thrived on the coverage units. So the next challenge? He’s trying to get the Terps’ younger players to get as excited about playing on special teams as he is.

And he’s begun to succeed in that role.

One of Twine’s closest friends on the team is linebacker Cavon Walker, who has been relegated to a reserve role on defense as a freshman. But Twine said his younger counterpart has become increasingly interested in special teams, and Walker often asks Twine about how he can help contribute on the kickoff unit.

Last week, Walker got his opportunity.

“I overheard [Robinson] tell Coach Edsall that he wanted a blow on kickoff, so I ran to Cavon and said, ‘This is your chance,’” Twine said. “I said, ‘We have to do this together,’ and he went down there the first play and he helped make the tackle.”

Twine couldn’t shake the smile off his face when he told that story.

“I feel like when I show my pride and I show I care about this unit other guys are going to feel the same way,” Twine said.

However he managed it, Twine’s transformation since those two weeks in the summer is commendable. It’s not easy turning devastation into pride.