Tyler Allison, middle, makes a point to Chippewa Valley senior Davont'a Love at practice Monday. Allison, a former Big Red, played on two GLIAC championship teams at Ferris State. (GEORGE POHLY -- MediaNews Group)
He wore a sleeveless t-shirt commemorating championships won while playing football for Ferris State, but Tyler Allison would have traded it Monday for a Chippewa Valley practice jersey.
“I wish I could have that first practice again,” the former Big Red said as he faced the current squad on the official start of fall camp.
A member of two GLIAC championship teams and multiple NCAA Division II playoff teams at Ferris, Allison met with a couple of Big Reds individually before addressing the entire team between practice sessions.
“You have to come to practice every day prepared to get better at something,” he told the group.
An aspiring USFL player, Allison reminisced about his time as a Big Red and Bulldog and welcomed the opportunity to speak to coach Scott Merchant’s team.
“I love it,” the lineman said. “It’s one of the best parts of football. You never really age out of it.”
Allison, who played for the Bulldogs from 2015-19, said camaraderie the Big Reds build during days leading up to the Aug. 24 opener against West Bloomfield will help define the team.
“Brotherhood is No. 1,” he said. “Every team that I’ve been a part of that’s won a championship, we’ve been a close team.
“There’s always going to be guys that don’t get along. But when it comes to the time between the whistles, guys are ready to die for each other. That’s really, really important.”
Another priority, he said, is “showing up to work.”
“You’ve got to show up at practice with a mission, something you’re going to get better at, something to work on as a team as well,” Allison said. “There should be a constant team bond, constant handshakes. Those little things add up over time.
“You can count on the guy next to you. In those big-time situations, you don’t have to worry.”
Chippewa Valley went 7-3 last season, including a 3-2 mark in the Macomb Area Conference Red Division.
Quarterback Andrew Schuster, who has committed to Grand Valley State, leads the team with four-year defensive-line starter Anthony Wright, two-way lineman Davont’a Love and safety Rayshaun Hester, who has committed to Eastern Michigan University.
“I like our passing game,” Merchant said. “We’ve got some good running backs. Defensively, we’ve got good speed. We’ve got some size and experience on the lines.”
The Big Reds’ coach since 2009, who led Chippewa Valley to the 2018 state Division 1 championship, Merchant mentioned changes to the season calendar since he was a player.
“We play two games before Labor Day, and we’re going to play less than two weeks after our first day in pads,” he said. “You really have to go all summer.
“You always look forward to the official start of the season, even though there really is no offseason.”
Allison, Merchant said, gave the Big Reds a chance to listen to a different voice.
“They’ve heard me all summer,” he said. “Their peers definitely have more impact. That holds a lot of credibility. If it makes a difference with one guy, it was worth it.
“It also says something about our tradition. In order for it to perpetuate itself, older guys have to pass it down to younger guys. How we do things around here? What’s the standard? What are the expectations? As a coach, that’s one of my favorite things, to see my former players come back after they leave and have been successful. That made my day.”
Chippewa Valley plays West Bloomfield at Wayne State.
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