Had a chance to chat with Jayson Allmond this morning, after he decided yesterday to attend Northern Arizona following his choice to transfer from UCLA.
JG: Why did you decide to leave UCLA?
JA: “Well, I came in as a fullback and I redshirted, came back to spring and moved to F-back in the Pistol. Then moved to running back, then during camp I was moved to tight end.”
JG: So it was more about just not ever really finding a spot for you?
JA: “Yea, it just didn’t work out. But I understood that sometimes things just dont work out. I came in as a fullback and we took it out, so I just got the raw end of the stick.”
JG: How hard was it to make the decision? I know you love UCLA…
JA: “It was a really hard decision because I’ve been a Bruin since I was 7 years old, playing little league. My high school was called the Bruins. So to know that I wasn’t going to be a Bruin anymore… it hurt sometimes because my mom is a big UCLA fan.”
JG: When you came to your decision, what were you looking for out of the next program
and I guess tied to that, why NAU?
JA: “Of course education was a big part because UCLA is one of the top schools when it comes to education, so I had to find a school that can almost match up. I picked NAU because i was recruited by them coming out of high school but never got an offer – I committed to UCLA very early so I never got a chance to get any offers beside UCLA and Nevada.:
JG: Does NAU feature a fullback?
JA: “Yes, they do.”
JG: What’s the one thing youre going to miss most about UCLA?
JA: “(long pause) Hanging out with my friends on the football team, like Sheldon Price, Dalton Hilliard, Darius Bell, Brandon Willis, Isaiah Bowens, Stan Mckay, Damien Thigpen,Datone Jones, Jerry Rice and Keenan Graham.”
JG: How hard is it to leave?
JA: “It’s very hard, because I’ve made so many friends. UCLA is my dream school, and I’m leaving my mom behind and she is my biggest fan. She has never missed any of my games, so to know I won’t be able to hug her after every game is going to be hard.”
JG: Any final thoughts?
JA: “I just want to thank Coach Neuheisel and the coaching staff for allowing me to be part of the UCLA family, and I also would like to thank the fans for all the support and for staying behind me. Also to Coach Linn, I thank him for making me a better player and teaching me the right way to lift and take care of my body. I have no hard feeling towards any coaches and I wish the team the best of luck. I will always be a UCLA Bruin.”