Ryan Allison describes himself as an introvert, but the former Escalante High School linebacker never shied away from contact.
He finished off his final season with the Lobos by recording the seventh-most tackles in a season in the state of New Mexico (133).
Allison also tied the New Mexico record for most tackles in a game, with 25, on Nov. 4, 2017 against Jal High School.
It was the first time a player had reached that number since 1972, when David Romero did so for St. Michael’s High School.
“I would never have had that record if my teammates weren’t as good as they are,” Allison said. “They make it easy for me. All I have to do is get in the right spot and make a play. The tackling record has little significance. I never went into a game wanting to break a record. I go into each game wanting to win.”
The Lobos notched plenty of victories, including back-to-back state championships, during Allison’s career under head coach Dusty Giles, who has built the program into one of the best in Northern New Mexico at the small-school level.
Allison’s parents divorced when he was 4 years old and his father lived in Albuquerque, far from his mother, Bernadette Gallegos’ home in Chama.
“That is why I am so appreciative of the Escalante High School football coaches,” she said. “They gave him the guidance that a single mother of a teenage boy couldn’t give.”
Allison joked that he would continuously upset coach Giles by hugging him, but said the lessons he learned from his coach have been the most important yet.
“I would consider that coach Giles had the most impact and influence on myself in my life,” Allison said. “He helped me mature by understanding that I can become what I want to be if I truly want to and work for it. This in turn, helped me grow as a person, making me confident and hardworking, realizing that if I apply hard work to my passions, I can become the best in them.”
Despite the distance between his parents, Allison was still very close with his father — and credits him to bringing out one of his passions, which is film.
Allison will major in interdisciplinary film and digital media at the University of New Mexico, with the hopes of starting his own filmmaking business.
“When I was younger I loved watching movies, usually with my father,” he said. “Going to the theatre was always an adventure as well — and it’s something I really enjoy doing to this day.”
The biggest theatrical moment on the field for Allison was when his team made history by defeating Santa Fe High School on Oct. 13, 2017.
It marked the first time that a school from Class 2A defeated a team from 6A. Allison said it was extra-special because the game was played on Friday the 13th and the team arrived several hours late, due to a traffic accident in Pojoaque.
“Being trapped in a bus and the persistent questioning for coach Giles from every member of the football team left him incredibly frustrated, which also made it so memorable,” he said.
Allison played alongside his cousin, Bryan Maestas, who also sad Allison was shy and friendly — but not on the field.
“Totally different person when that helmet comes on,” he said. “He becomes the meanest and most competitive person I have ever played with. I have seen him dripping sweat with his hands on his knees and he surprises me the very next play, hitting with such a force.”
Gallegos insisted that contact “came natural” to her son going back to his childhood days when he was a fan of the World Wrestling Entertainment.
“We had a trampoline and he along with his friends would try to emulate the stage of a WWE matchup,” she said. “I would get them smoke bombs so it would be more realistic and I think I bought him every plastic championship belt made.”
When pondering about life’s next step, the moment hit home for Allison one day in his senior year when he was watching an interview of Gary Vaynerchuk and Russ.
“They said how people just have to listen and look around,” he said. “I looked around my room and saw stacks of movies everywhere and that’s when I realized I want to be in the filmmaking industry. It’s really as simple as that. Your mind and body tells you where you want to go and sometimes you just got to follow it.”