The North Allegheny football program has long been a model of excellence and talent in the 6A division. The team is ranked third overall in Pennsylvania football and second in the 6A Pennsylvania rankings. The team shows their Tiger pride and ability to achieve above and beyond with a selection of high-class talent, including Tyree Alualu, son of the NFL nose tackle Tyson Alualu.
Alualu had a fantastic senior season for the Tigers. His great gameplay and strong leadership assisted his team to a WPIAL 6A title over rival Central Catholic, and the squad progressed all the way to the PIAA 6A championship game. He made the 2023 PUP high school football all-star team for his achievements last season.
With his senior year coming to an end and numerous Division I offers from across the country to choose from, Alualu announced his commitment to Temple University in Philadelphia. Alualu is one of three North Allegheny players to play Division I football next season, with defensive linemen Cameron Chmura attending Marshall University and Daniel Sellers playing for Richmond University.
“The reason I chose Temple was really for playing time,” said Alualu. “During the recruitment process, they told me that all their linebackers were declaring for the draft or they were graduating, so I took the opportunity to put myself in there and bet on myself to really start playing.”
While playing time and success rate were appealing, they were not the only aspects that stood out for Alualu.
“The program at Temple is very family-oriented,” he said. “Coach Drayton really pushes the team to be one big family, and that is definitely one of the big reasons why I fell in love with Temple and made my decision to commit there.”
While football has always been a major aspect in Alualu’s life, the search for the perfect college also included a good academic fit. Temple not only has a stellar football program, but it is also among the top 45 public schools in the nation with over 600 different and diverse academic programs of study.
“I’m not completely sure what I’m choosing for a major, but I would like it to be business-oriented,” Alualu said. “Coach Drayton told me to do business management because it is better to own something when playing football, since in this sport, you could have an injury and it’s over.”
Though his time with North Allegheny is coming to a close, Alualu is able to appreciate the privileges and opportunities given to him through the football program. With the Tiger football Coach Art Walker playing a major role in his journey as a leader and a mentor, Alualu’s skill and ability to connect to his team have made the sport that much easier for him.
“Coach Walker has definitely played a big role in my scholarship opportunities,” he said. “He is a coach who really pushes his players, along with all his connections being with the WPIAL and with the Tigers for as long as he has.”
Walker is coming up on his 19th season with the Tigers, and though he has faced tough games, his team has remained strong. The new season will bring new talent but the loss of skill from the departing seniors. With this loss, Walker looks back on the achievements and impressions Alualu made on the team.
“Tyree has impacted this team in a lot of ways as an athlete,” said Walker. “I think his biggest impact, especially this year, is leadership on and off the field. The energy he brings, the positivity, I think it changed us.”
Alaalu’s contributions to the team have been above and beyond, but his journey is far from over. His commitment to Temple is the beginning of a new chapter for the high school football star, and the North Allegheny community continues to anticipate his appearance on the football field. Even though Alualu will soon be a Temple Owl, he will always be a North Allegheny Tiger.
