Ashburn, Va. — If you ever had the chance to see Chaz Allison stalk his prey on a Friday night at Broad Run High School, you’ve enjoyed a real treat. He matches his opposition step for step, he’s relentless in his pursuit of the football, and because of that, he’ll soon get the opportunity to suit up on Saturday afternoons.
Eleven years after his first tackle football game, Allison will get to live out a childhood dream when he travels to Norfolk as a preferred walk-on at Old Dominion University.
“I feel so blessed to be committed. I’m a preferred walk-on kid but I don’t care,” the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Allison said. “I’m getting the opportunity to live out my dream of playing Division I FBS college football.”
Allison will join a team filled with talented linebackers, who he’ll be able to learn from before six of them are set to graduate in 2021. In 2019, the Division I Monarchs finished 1-11, dropping seven games by two scores or less.
“After a ton of prayer and trusting our faith in Jesus Christ, my family and I could all agree that ODU was the place for me,” Allison said. “From the first time I spoke to defensive coordinator Blake Seiler, I felt a sense of peace and excitement about the opportunity to go play FBS football.”
With the guidance of Seiler and first-year head coach Ricky Rahne, Allison and fellow Broad Run graduate Luke Lindenfeldar – who redshirted in 2019 – hope to grow the Old Dominion football program over the next four years.
“Another reason I was drawn to the school is that one of my lifelong best friends, Luke Lindenfeldar, is on the team,” Allison said. “I also have a lot of family from the 757 area.”
Raised in Ashburn, Allison is excited to keep true to his Virginia roots at the collegiate level after putting together a tremendously successful high school career. During his last two seasons at Broad Run, Allison led the Spartans to a 23-3 record, picking up numerous individual accolades along the way, including a first-team all-state selection in 2019, first team all-region selections in 2018 and 2019, and first team All-LoCo selections following his junior and senior seasons.
“Once I got to Broad Run, it was everything I dreamed of. From wearing my jersey at school on Fridays to pregame routines and, of course, playing in front of my entire home town, the experience was awesome,” Allison said. “I’m so thankful for the Griffis family, and everything they’ve done for me and my family over the years.”
Broad Run High School is more than just a high school to me: it’s my family.
—Broad Run linebacker Chaz Allison
For Allison, his time playing at Broad Run was about more than wins and losses: it was about family. When Allison started playing tackle football in first grade, Broad Run quarterback Mitch Griffis was on his team. Then in second grade Allison and Griffis again teamed up. The two were inseparable, playing for Allison’s dad from first through eighth grade, before playing for Broad Run head coach Matt Griffis for ninth through twelfth grade.
“Coach Griffis got the head coaching job at Broad Run when I was in third grade. I was around the team and the culture as much as I could be. I was so blessed that my best friend’s dad was the head coach, so we were around Broad Run a lot longer than just the four years we went to school there,” Allison said. “Broad Run High School is more than just a high school to me: it’s my family.”
Along with the Griffis family, Allison had one more major influence guiding his love for football. From coaching him in youth football to manning the chains on the Broad Run sideline to volunteering as the Spartans’ FCA leader in 2019, Allison’s dad Josh has been his biggest fan.
“My dad has been my biggest supporter, motivator, coach, and fan a kid could ask for. From the time I started playing football until now, this has been the goal: to play college football,” the younger Allison said. “It’s really cool to have the opportunity to live out my dream that my dad instilled in me when I was a little kid.”