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PROVO — By now, it's become cliche, simply an oft-repeated ESPN talking point, about Tyler Allgeier — about how he could barely earn a Division I offer and took a preferred walk-on spot at BYU before becoming one of the program's best tailbacks in the modern era.
The story is well known among BYU fans, about how the Fontana, California, product took a job wrangling carts at a Provo Walmart to earn some extra cash during his freshman year at BYU, then moved over to linebacker looking for more playing time, and back to running back due to injuries prior to ascending to the No. 1 tailback role and back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons — including the most rushing yards and carries in a single season in BYU history.
But that was exactly what grabbed the attention of the Atlanta Falcons' media corps as they met with the fifth-round draft pick for the first time Saturday afternoon, trying to get a feel for the newest rusher in a long line of standouts that include Michael Turner, Devonta Freeman and fullback Patrick DiMarco, to say nothing of current backs Cordarrele Patterson, Damien Williams and Mike Davis.
How could an unknown prospect from San Bernardino County go from BYU walk-on to linebacker to all-time great to NFL draft pick, all within four years, including a COVID-19 impacted season when all but one college football program west of Texas had (temporarily) shut down play?
"I've been slept on almost my whole life," Allgeier told Atlanta media from his home in California, where he watched the draft with his mother and close friends and family before Falcons-like red ticker tape flew when his name was called. "I really just bet on myself, used the support I had from family, friends, coaches. And I just put my head down and got to work. That's made me who I am today."
The journey of the 5-foot-11, 220-pound tailback to the NFL has been filled with hardships, from the time he almost died as an infant to being raised by a single mother, grandmother and grandfather, the latter of whom passed away after a battle with cancer while the BYU running back was away at college.
The loss motivated Allgeier even more, coming in the middle of a run where he put up 1,130 yards and 13 touchdowns during a COVID-ravaged season in 2020, then followed it up with 1,606 yards and 23 touchdowns on 276 carries as he assumed the workhorse running back role as a junior in 2021.
Our newest RB is ready to work 💪@tylerallgeier17pic.twitter.com/I9xIqElVYn
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 30, 2022
And yet, for all his success, Allgeier is quick to remember those who got him where he is today — namely, his offensive line, from Carolina third-round selection Brady Christensen to center James Empey, who just signed a free-agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys.
"All my success goes to them," Allgeier said. "The big boys, it's all for them."
Allgeier watched the draft on pins and needles back home with his mother, family members and close friends. But back in Provo, his college friends, teammates and mentors knew he'd be one of the 262 prospects to find an NFL team.
"He is a great teammate and a good person. He is a selfless person and the ultimate teammate when it comes to that," BYU running backs coach Harvey Unga said. "I think the film more than anything speaks for itself. You watch the way the kid plays the game. How he carries himself but not just that but how he plays the game. When it's crunch time and we need a couple of yards or we are trying to run a four-minute drill, we knew we could count on him and call on him to carry the rock to win the game. He also has amazing vision and great feet.
"One of the things that I appreciated the most was just the way he approached learning the game. I know NFL coaches are going to appreciate how well he learns and picks things up. He is a sponge and very coachable."
Despite growing up in the same area and attending the same college as BYU all-time leading rusher Jamaal Williams, Allgeier sees himself as a different kind fo running back. He tries to pattern his game after Nick Chubb and Marshawn Lynch: more bruising than fleeting, though with the ability to make a cut or break an ankle when needed, he adds.
"That's a bad man right there," Allgeier said of Chubb. "I like to be the hammer, not the nail; hit them before they hit you. The only way to get positive yards is forward, instead of dancing around."
Allgeier can do more than lower the shoulder and lay the lumber, though. Why else would BYU coaches have thought he'd make a great linebacker at one point?
"It's not just about playing running back," BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. "He is going to be able to play running back. He is going to be able to tackle and block people and he has been doing that since he got here. He is going to do just fine in the NFL."
But he'll get a chance to dish out punishment for a team coming off a 7-10 campaign, assuming things go well through rookie mini-camp and offseason team outings. As a fifth-round pick, Allgeier's spot on the roster isn't guaranteed — but the Falcons have made enough of an investment to offer more than a fighting chance.
More than enough chance for a tailback who has been fighting his entire life.
"Since they drafted me, I just hope to be a good fit," Allgeier said. "I hope I'm the piece they might have been missing.
"We don't really know until we get there, though."
