Story by Peter BensonSYRACUSE, N.Y. - Growing up in Brooklyn, Jude Allume, a 27-year-old graduate student at S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University, wanted to be cowboy. Not in the sense of a footballer. At least, not yet.
“My uncle used to watch western movies.” Allume said.
As he got older, Allume went from wanting to be a cowboy, to wanting to be Cowboy; his infatuation with Emmitt Smith started young.
“I always just remember it, I was watching Emmitt Smith on the TV," he said. "After a little while, I realize nobody was going to shoot anybody or ride out on horseback or anything like that, but I’m still interested.”
From there, he was hooked. Allume told stories of watching games with his family and eventually converting to supporting New York teams. Even if it was reluctant.
His love for Smith would eventually make way to Marshall Faulk, the NFL Hall of Famer who played for Indianapolis and St. Louis. Allume even ended up wearing Faulk’s number 28 in high school. However, Smith still held a special place for the Cowboy who started it all.
“The first person I noticed was Emmitt Smith. He was great when he was playing for the Cowboys. Anybody watching football, you would want to be something like him.”
Interview (Link)
Q. If you could start by stating your name, your age and what you do?
A: Jude Allume. My age is 27. I’m currently a student at Syracuse University
Q. Where did you grow up?
A: Grew up in Brooklyn. Been in Brooklyn all my life. This is the first I actually lived anywhere outside of Brooklyn now that I’ve moved to Syracuse.
Q. And what was it like living there [Brooklyn]?
A: Brooklyn? It teaches you a lot. In my opinion it definitely comes street smart because, you know, I kind of grew up in a tougher neighborhood before bouncing around and stuff like that. I’ve seen a lot of things and you kind of just keep it in your mind and grow from it. You go through a couple of things that you have to grow from.
Q. You said it teaches you stuff. Could you be more specific?
A: Just to be more aware of your surroundings. What kind of people you want to incorporate yourself with or interact with and what kind of people you want to stay away from. And who to make friends with or who you can be cordial to and still keep your distance.
Q. Do you play any sports?
A: Right now I don’t. I was playing semi-pro football up until…actually last year was my last year. Once I found out I was coming to Syracuse, I wouldn’t be able to play for the team I was playing for anymore. Not to mention the workload wouldn’t really allow for it. I played a lot of football in my life. I played semi-pro before that… It was for the Brooklyn Seminoles and then I played at Nassau one year. I also played high school. Brooklyn Technical High School. There I played football, I played basketball for a couple of years and I ran track too.
Q. What got you into sports?
A: Growing up as a kid I always got… these early memories - I would hate to admit it, but I’m going to say it now anyways, coming from New York: when I was four or five years old, I wanted to be a cowboy. Like cowboy hat; bang, bang. My uncle, he always used to watch western movies. Then one day, I always just remember it, I was watching Emmit Smith on the TV; I’m watching the Cowboys play. So automatically they’re the Cowboys so I’m like watching it, of course. After a little while, I realize nobody was going to shoot anybody or ride out on horseback or anything like that, but I’m still interested. From there, I grew up with older cousins and my uncle and they were always watching sports so that got me into it. As you grow older, you’re in school, you’re playing sports so it kind of becomes a part of you. Once you become part of that team atmosphere, it’s like something that you almost need in a sense. I was an only child. Being on a team you go from having zero brothers to having 50-something brothers. That was like my whole high school experience really. That can sum it up. Always being with the football team, being associated with them, hanging out with them after school, of course practice and games and stuff like that.
Q. You mentioned your family. Do you think that your love of football and watching football with them, or even any sport, has strengthened the relationships with them?
A: Definitely. When you’re watching everybody’s rooting for the same team. Of course, they didn’t like that I was rooting for the Cowboys, when I first started around. Even with basketball too, watching Michael Jordan. I don’t know if you could watch Michael Jordan and not like him but they were die hard Knicks fans. So I’m sitting there like “let’s go MJ” and they were kind of looking at me. Eventually I came to the Knicks side of things. Unfortunately. But yeah, you always have those fond memories watching games with your family. It helps strengthen the bond you already have with them. I guess you could correlate sports and family at the same time. As I said before, the guys on the team, they’re basically an extension of my family as well.
Q. You grew up with football. You grew up watching football. You ended up playing it. Was there anyone that you watched who’s game you wanted to replicate?
A: The first person I noticed was Emmit Smith. He was great when he was playing for the Cowboys. Anybody watching football, you would want to be something like him. But after a couple of years it kind of weaned away and then I really started watching a lot of Marshall Faulk. Going from Indianapolis and then going onto St. Louis where he was part of the “Greatest Show on Turf” and he was a do everything back. What really made me like him was that he wasn’t a big guy and, at that time, I wasn’t a big guy. He was about my height so it just made me feel like “hey, if this guy’s in the league, I can be just as great and make it to the league hopefully too.” That was just the guy I tried to replicate my game after. I wore his jersey number and everything. That was probably the only reason that I chose to wear that jersey number; because Marshall Faulk used to wear it.
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