• Home
  • About
  • Advertising
  • Digital Archives
  • Contact
    • Letter to Editor
  • Find us
Monday, May 23, 2022
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
Mission Times Courier
  • A&E
    • Art
    • Books
    • Film
    • Music
    • Theater
  • News & Features
    • News
      • News Briefs
    • Politics
      • La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club
      • Navajo Canyon Republican Women
      • Elected Official Reports
        • Dianne’s Corner
        • Mara Elliott
        • District 7 Dispatch
        • Summer Stephan
        • Susan Davis
        • Toni G. Atkins
    • Features
    • Community Updates
      • Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation
      • Allied Gardens – Grantville Community Council
      • Del Cerro Action Council
      • San Carlos Area Council
  • Food & Drink
    • Bars & Happy Hours
    • Restaurant Reviews
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
    • Health & Fitness
    • Pets
    • Travel
    • Recreation/Nature
      • Mission Trails – Trail Guide
      • iNaturalist
    • Navajo Voices
  • Business
    • Finance
    • Real Estate
    • Best of Mission Times Courier
    • Expert Advice
    • Sponsored links
  • Library/Education
    • Library
      • Allied Gardens/Benjamin Branch Library
      • San Carlos Library
    • Patrick Henry High School
  • Calendar
  • Experts
Mission Times Courier
  • A&E
    • Art
    • Books
    • Film
    • Music
    • Theater
  • News & Features
    • News
      • News Briefs
    • Politics
      • La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club
      • Navajo Canyon Republican Women
      • Elected Official Reports
        • Dianne’s Corner
        • Mara Elliott
        • District 7 Dispatch
        • Summer Stephan
        • Susan Davis
        • Toni G. Atkins
    • Features
    • Community Updates
      • Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation
      • Allied Gardens – Grantville Community Council
      • Del Cerro Action Council
      • San Carlos Area Council
  • Food & Drink
    • Bars & Happy Hours
    • Restaurant Reviews
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
    • Health & Fitness
    • Pets
    • Travel
    • Recreation/Nature
      • Mission Trails – Trail Guide
      • iNaturalist
    • Navajo Voices
  • Business
    • Finance
    • Real Estate
    • Best of Mission Times Courier
    • Expert Advice
    • Sponsored links
  • Library/Education
    • Library
      • Allied Gardens/Benjamin Branch Library
      • San Carlos Library
    • Patrick Henry High School
  • Calendar
  • Experts
No Result
View All Result
Mission Times Courier
No Result
View All Result
Home Business

Football star to family business man

by SDCNN
August 18, 2017
in Business, Features, Lifestyle, Sports, Top Stories
0
Football star to family business man

Former Aztec Jim Allison has gone from the gridiron to local business. (Photo by Doug Curlee)

0
SHARES
861
VIEWS

By Doug Curlee | Editor at Large

Former Aztec, Charger Jim Allison looks back at his interesting careers

When Don Coryell was hired to bring San Diego State football out of what was called the “small college” ranks and into the big time, Jim Allison says Coryell talked him into passing up offers from the likes of Texas, UCLA and the big schools.

Former Aztec Jim Allison has gone from the gridiron to local business. (Photo by Doug Curlee)

“Coach knew where he wanted the program to go, and told me I could help get them there. He could talk you into anything if he put his mind to it, and he did with me.”

Coryell got Allison out of El Camino College, where he’d gone after a storied high school career at Redondo Union High School.

At the time, the Aztecs were competing in the California Collegiate Athletic Association against schools like San Jose State, San Francisco State, Los Angeles State — small schools, and most of which no longer compete in football.

In an era where “small college” usually meant “small players,” Allison was an exception.

At 6-foot-2-inches and 220 pounds, Allison as a tailback was as big as some of the other schools’ linemen. He also had running back speed. He could hurt you if he hit you.

How good was he? In the early 1960s, about the only major recordkeeping among small colleges was done by the sports wire services, Associated Press and United Press International.

“They kept the books, and they awarded me the 1964 small colleges national rushing championship. It was an honor I didn’t expect.”

Two years later, one year after Allison finished at SDSU, Coryell’s Aztecs won the small colleges national championship with a perfect 11-0 record. But by that time, Allison had moved on to the pros.

“In 1965, I got drafted twice — by the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL, and the San Diego Chargers of the AFL. I thought about playing in Minnesota in December, and I didn’t have any trouble at all making that choice,” Allison said.

Allison’s San Diego Chargers jersey (Photo by Doug Curlee)

Allison would spend four years with the Chargers. He was often used as a fullback, but could play tailback without much trouble, as he did for a number of games when starter Paul Lowe was injured.

A couple of years on other rosters told Allison his pro career was pretty much over, and it was time to decide what to do with the rest of his life.

“I kinda got into sales work, like a lot of guys do after they’re no longer active players. Eventually, I wound up selling landscaping services, and somehow, I got really interested in the actual creation of landscaping. I studied about soils and grasses and trees and plants, and it was fascinating- still is.

“It occurred to me that I could probably do this on my own, without working for someone else. So that’s what I did — bought a truck, hired some people, and went to work.”

Over the years, Allison Landscaping has grown into a successful family business, with Jim’s sons involved.

They do landscape design and construction, primarily for big clients — corporate types — but they will design and build your yard for you.

On Fridays, you can usually find Jim on a golf course, where he swears he’s shooting in the 70s.

You often see him out at lunch with his old mates from the Aztecs and the Chargers — Rod Dowhower, Gary Garrison, Mario Mendez … many more from the day.

Often at those gatherings, the topic of conversation is: “We’re all in the Aztec Hall of Fame, why isn’t Jim?”

It’s an interesting question that no one seems able to answer.

Mostly, though, you can see him at his Allied Gardens home, with his big collection of memorabilia from the world of sports. Jim’s a serious collector.

At 74. He’s pretty much at peace with life.

—Doug Curlee is Editor at Large. Reach him at doug@sdcnn.com.

SDCNN

SDCNN

Next Post
Riverwalk development planning underway

Riverwalk development planning underway

Loading Facebook Comments ...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Mission Times Courier

© 2022 Mission Times Courier. All rights reserved. San Diego Community Newspaper Group (SDCNG).

Navigate our site

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Arts & Entertainment
    • Art
    • Books
    • Film
    • Music
    • Theater
  • News & Features
    • News
    • Politics
      • Elected Official Reports
    • Community Updates
      • San Carlos Area Council
      • La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club
      • Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation
      • Navajo Canyon Republican Women
      • News from the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation
      • News from the San Carlos/Lake Murray Recreation Council
    • Features
  • Food & Drink
    • Bars & Happy Hours
    • Restaurant Reviews
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Business
    • Finance
    • Real Estate
    • Best of Mission Times Courier
    • Expert Advice
    • Sponsored links
  • Library/Education
    • Allied Gardens/Benjamin Branch Library
    • Patrick Henry High School
      • Patrick Henry school nurse
      • Patrick Henry sports
    • San Carlos Friends of the Library
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Fitness
    • Fashion
    • Pets
    • Travel
    • Recreation/Nature
      • Mission Trails – Trail Guide
    • Navajo Voices
  • About
  • Contact
  • Archive
  • Advertising
  • Calendar
  • Experts

© 2022 Mission Times Courier. All rights reserved. San Diego Community Newspaper Group (SDCNG).

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In