He played college football at UCLA, where he was also a star on the track and field team.
In 1974, the World Football League gained a large measure of recognition the day before the NFL draft when the Southern California Sun announced the signing of three potential NFL first-round selections, including McAlister.
McAlister was one of a trio whose agent, 22-year-old Michael L Trope, decided not to wait for competitive bidding by the NFL.
"Their value was at a peak, 30% to 35% higher than it would have been later, because of the publicity the WFL could get by our signing," said Trope, who approximated the total package at close to $1 million for his three clients.
This biographical article relating to an American football running back born in the 1950s is a stub.