Fresno State junior football linebacker Jeff Allison continues to shine on the field for those he honors off of it.

Initially resistant to the sport, Allison saw his two older brothers, Bernard and Edward, playing and wanted to follow in their footsteps.

With roots in Florida, Allison quickly found success on the high school football field, but, off the field, Allison suffered the loss of his cousins, Jared and Jalen Mumford, in a car accident.

"I grew up with those guys and they were my best friends," Allison said. "Losing them kept me motivated because they always wanted the best for me."

Unable to conjure any scholarship offers from any colleges through his junior season, Allison suffered more heartbreak losing his close friend and high school teammate, which only added fuel to his fire.

Working hard to keep his fallen friends' legacies alive through his play, Allison excelled during his senior season.

Then Allison visited Fresno State near signing day.

"I felt it was a place I could get my name out there and stand out," Allison said.

His first season as a Bulldog in 2016 was quite a learning experience. But while getting to play in all 12 games as a freshman, Allison continued to deal with setbacks off the field as his mother was diagnosed with leukemia and suffered from two lung diseases.

"I knew I had to be strong for her and make her proud," Allison said.

Allison entered his sophomore season with a new mindset as new head coach Jeff Tedford came on board.

"Everyone on the team started building relationships with one another so that everyone can trust everyone," he said.

Becoming more aggressive and playing for those he had lost and his mother back home, Allison put together a standout sophomore campaign leading the team and ranking 15th in the nation with 126 tackles while earning First-Team All-Mountain West honors.

Entering his junior season this fall, Allison found out more tragedy had hit. His younger brother on his father's side, Javon, had passed away.

"That was tough," he recalled. "There were times we would be close to one another without each other knowing until we were on the phone. He always wanted the best for me so I want to keep shining the light for him."

While working to continue to fulfill his dreams of reaching the National Football League, Allison has started thinking about life after football. He wants to give back to his community by starting a youth camp where kids can play sports and also have an opportunity to be tutored and learn the importance of education.

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