With 15 years of experience under his belt Wade Allen ‘26 is no stranger to the football field. Adding to his copious achievements throughout his career, Wade was awarded the Covert Ford Athlete of the Week for the week of Sept. 22 with an 85% majority vote. Surrounded by friends and family, he received the news of the award that would open the conversation about the future of his football career.     

“I wasn’t aware that I had won an award and I walked outside ready to go to practice as I normally would,” Wade said. “My grandparents, parents, and all of my friends were out there waiting for me, even my coach. They pulled the team together and let me know I won it and I was really happy.”

Leading up to the announcement of the news, during the fifth week of this year’s football season, Wade went head-to-head against four other local athletes in the Austin Sports Journal-hosted Athlete of the Week competition. Like his competitors, Wade was nominated for his outstanding performance during a game played between Monday, Sept. 22, and Saturday, Sept. 27. Specifically, Wade rushed for 293 yards, breaking the Westwood single-game rushing record. This, combined with his 18 carries and four touchdowns led to a team victory against the Manor Mustangs. Following an open voting period on Monday, Sept. 29, in which students were sent the link to vote for him and support their school’s athlete, Wade swept his competition, beating second place by 74%. 

“It was the best game I’ve ever played,” Wade said. “Putting all that hard work in and getting this result is great.”

Wade’s performance dominated the field, reflecting the hard work he’s shown throughout his football career. Wade showed interest in the sport early on, attributing his dad’s football career as inspiration for being a starter on the varsity football team his senior year. High school wasn’t the beginning of his football journey, though: Allen didn’t begin playing football on an official team until the age of three. His passion for the sport stayed persistent even when facing doubt from both his coaches and teammates, leading him to go the extra mile in his pursuit to be a reliable and noticeable player.Off-season moments were vital to Wade. He used rest periods to his advantage, conditioning diligently  by doing sprints, training workouts, and weights. This not only brought his body to where it needed to be physically in order to play, but also fueled his dedication to a goal he had worked toward since childhood.

“I have always wanted to be a Westwood Warrior, just looking up to all the seniors and being excited to be on varsity,” Wade said. “Sophomore year, I thought I was going to be on varsity, but I ended up playing on JV, so I worked really hard to be on varsity my junior year. I didn’t play very much and it was a depressing season, but then this year, I finally got my opportunity to play, and I’m doing pretty well I think.” 

During Wade’s time on both JV and varsity, the sharp contrast between the two teams did not go unnoticed. On the JV football team, there is one coach for everybody, but on varsity, there is more attention on individual players in order to help them grow in the sport. The rigor of varsity was evident: after early morning practice, athletes would participate in extensive conditioning, from extra outside practices, such as team runs, and indoor amenity utilization, such as weight-lifting and ice baths to watching film and consulting their experienced trainers. The structure of the team was beneficial to Allen as it taught him how to assess a game and play smarter.

“[After our weekly game] I’ll go watch my film to see what I could have done better in each play,” Wade said. “Some weeks, I’ll start from the first game to see how I progress throughout the season. After I am done with that, I look at the team we are about to play to see their strengths and weaknesses and how I can exploit them.”

Wade’s success as a varsity starter was due to the structured schedule and the supportive coaching staff. Prior to his first year on varsity, Coach Derek Ward was appointed head coach. The new staffing spotlighted Wade’s fast dodging and quick feet, proving advantageous for him and the team. A carry-heavy team strategy has not only dominated in the Warriors’ major win against the Mustangs, but has also put points on the board against more difficult opponents like the Hutto Hippos. Wade also gives immense credit to his defensive trainer, Coach Dezmun Williams.

“You have to have a set play for every single down of the game, [making] football more uniform [in strategy],” Wade said. “Coach [Blake] Nesrsta and Coach Ward took a chance on me as a starter, and I’ve done pretty good since. It’s been a big deal.”

The sport of football has seen countless phases throughout Wade’s life, shaping his physical and personal attributes. The Covert Ford Athlete of the Week will be a tangible mark of Wade’s trajectory from idolizing varsity players to becoming one. 

“The whole community that voted for me really meant a lot to me, whether it was friends, family or random people at school. I am really appreciative of their support,” Wade said.