Patience and brotherhood serve B.J. Alleyne, Salesianum's star running back

There was a play in the middle of Salesianum's semifinal game that to his closest supporters demonstrates the character of B.J. Alleyne.

Trailing 7-3 in the first half, a Middletown player recovered a Sallies fumble and began to streak down the sideline. In pass protection lined up next to the quarterback in shotgun, Alleyne jogged a few steps then recognized the opponent had scooped the ball and had a clear avenue to score. The senior broke into a sprint at the Middletown 40 yard line about five yards from the ball carrier. He chased him down and buried him at the Salesianum 11. Middletown failed to score on the ensuing possession.

Los Angeles Rams linebacker and Salesianum alum Troy Reeder called it the play of the game. Without it, Salesianum would have been in a 14-3 hole and maybe they're not playing for the Class 3A championship Friday night at Delaware Stadium.

"It seems like he's always trying to be that structure guy," said his brother Corahn Alleyne, a star playmaker at Delaware Military Academy who graduated in 2019. "He doesn't show much emotion. He can keep fighting when they're down. You can't count him out."

Alleyne's playing style matches his personality. He comes from a family of eight siblings, the second youngest of four boys. His brothers say he's the most introverted of the group, a quiet and focused individual. On the field, he's a powerful, hard runner unconcerned with making splashy, highlight plays. His head coach Gene Delle Donne compliments his patience.

Unlike his touchdown-saving sprint, Alleyne took a circuitous route to this point in his football career. After playing CYM ball at St. Mary Magdalen, he made the varsity team at Salesianum as a freshman but seldom played in a COVID-shortened season. He then transferred to Delaware Military Academy where he became one of the state's best players in his sophomore and junior seasons, playing a mix of quarterback and running back. Midway through last school year, he returned to Salesianum.

In the regular season, Alleyne accumulated 1,202 yards and 19 TDs, placing him once again among the state's best players. With Alleyne as the engine of its offense, Salesianum has won 11 of its 12 games and could take its first football state championship since 2013.

"It's definitely a team I wanted to be a part of," Alleyne said. "I never want to be a one-man show. I enjoy having other people around me to make me better. There's so many of those kids here. Inside of school, we're very tight."

'The brotherhood'

Those who knew Alleyne as the quiet transfer student probably wouldn't have placed him here.

But there he was three days before the opening-round playoff game against Smyrna speaking to the entire Salesianum student body as part of an event commemorating the day the first five Black students at Salesianum walked through its doors in 1950.

Alleyne talked about the brotherhood he's felt at Salesianum and how those students — Thomas and Alfred Connell, James Owens, Fred Smith, and Willie Jones — paved the ground he and his classmates now tread. In our conversation two weeks later, he comes back to that word, brotherhood, several times. It's a big part of why he returned to Salesianum even when it wasn't certain he'd be able to play this fall.

Alleyne was one of only a few freshman to make the varsity team in his first stint at Salesianum, but he never felt comfortable in the disjointed COVID year. He decided to go to DMA to find a new start and explore his military interest (he committed to West Point in June). At the same time, his oldest brother Brycen, a Concord and Delaware State alum and now a running back for the XFL's Houston Roughnecks, got an assistant coaching job at DMA.

"DMA was definitely a learning experience," Alleyne said. "I was a very quiet kid, but going there I was able to open up. I had to go through things and learn things to make me become a better leader."

Going into his junior year at DMA, he felt he "didn't fit in that community." He started to think about going back to Salesianum.

"I never gave it a full chance," he said.

His brothers, Brycen and Corahn, encouraged him to make the best decision for himself. Brycen said ultimately Salesianum gave him the best opportunity and resources to play at the next level, but "success was going to follow him anywhere he went." DIAA in July approved a waiver to allow him to play this fall.

Delle Donne praised the team's senior leaders for welcoming Alleyne throughout offseason activities in the spring and summer, especially Andrew Ransome, the team's starter at running back the previous fall who would be ceding snaps to Alleyne. Alleyne let the returning players lead, never demanding status within the team despite his standing as one of the state's best players.

"He eventually warmed up to us and I think we've gotten some more personality out of him," senior wide receiver Lukas Ryan said.

The Alleyne family

Brycen sometimes wants more energy from B.J. — "I'm hype, you need to be hype just as much as I am," he says — but he knows that's not who he is. B.J. is the Alleyne who came in under the radar and has let his play speak on its own.

The Alleyne family dinner table forms quite the running back room, a mix of styles and attitudes.

In addition to B.J., there's Brycen, who says he has the most energy and loudest personality. He's a 5'6'' running back who plays with finesse, running away from defenders and making others miss in space.

Somewhere in between Brycen and B.J. is Corahn, a playmaker who can score at any time on offense or defense. He played a season at Delaware State before eventually transferring to Division II Clarion. He's looking to move back into Division I next season with his final year of eligibility.

At the head of the table is their father Brian Alleyne, who also starred at Concord.

And coming next to the Delaware high school football ranks, albeit after a long break, is fourth-grader Braxtin. He's already a fan favorite in the stands at Salesianum games and has fallen in love with football over the past few years. Braxtin's video game of choice is Madden and he sends his brothers Tik Toks on football. He carries around a football Brycen gave him from a Houston Roughnecks game.

He'll likely benefit from B.J.'s success as B.J. has from Corahn and Brycen's. B.J. is quick to credit his brothers for sharing lessons from their experiences. It also doesn't hurt your game to spend your childhood trying to keep up with your bigger, faster and stronger siblings.

Brycen and Corahn said their Dad introduced the game when they were young, but there wasn't much pressure to keep playing if they didn't want to. It's just that once Brycen started, Corahn and B.J. followed wanting to be like their older brother.

The Alleynes, stretching back to Brian, were forged at Stay Real, a training facility in Wilmington. Brycen described it as an "if you know, you know" type of place. It started in the basement of the Salvation Army off Orange Street. Some workouts are kept invite only. You won't find many clips on social media.

"It's a very old school way of training," Brycen said.

It's help produce some of Delaware's top football talent, including NFL players Paul Worrilow (Concord) and Briean Boddy-Calhoun Jr. (Delcastle).

"They made sure we were able to do anything," Corahn said. "We focused on being explosive, quick — not trying to do too much, just one step and go."

'Let him do his thing'

After the Middletown game, his father shared a clip from a St. Mary Magdalen game where Alleyne made a similar touchdown-saving tackle off a turnover.

But even though he remembers that play, Alleyne said he doesn't think the Middletown tackle is one he would have made earlier in his high school career. A kickoff return from his freshman year is etched in his mind as an example of a play to avoid, one where he gave up on trying to chase the runner.

Something along his journey, from Salesianum to DMA and back caused his mindset to click. He doesn't give up, a strength garnered from the faith he has in his team and their preparation.

They displayed a similar confidence in Alleyne in their first playoff game against Smyrna. Facing fourth and goal from the 2 needing a touchdown to win with 3 seconds remaining, the Salesianum offensive line signaled to Delle Donne. They wanted a direct snap run to Alleyne.

Delle Donne went with it even though everyone in Abessinio Stadium had their eyes on No. 2. He sprinted to the right and got enough of the football across the goal line before getting plowed back by multiple Smyrna defenders.

Before the snap, Alleyne thought of when Corahn faced a similar situation in his senior year. His touchdown-to-win direct snap play ended just short against Wilmington Friends, who then marched down the field and kicked a field goal to finish the Seahawks season and Corahn's high school career.

"I prayed right before that play," Alleyne said. "And I just thought back to him."

It's common for Salesianum to see stacked boxes loading up against potential B.J. Alleyne runs. It's what they expect from Cape Henlopen in Friday's championship game. Although everyone is focused on him, Delle Donne says as playcaller he has to still give him the ball.

"You let him do his thing, regardless," he said. "His will to get a yard, really has been impressive."

Contact Brandon Holveck at bholveck@delawareonline.com. Follow him on X and Instagram @holveck_brandon. Follow him on TikTok @bholveck.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: B.J. Alleyne of Salesianum thrives after returning for senior season