Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Defensive lineman Alan Branch runs a drill during workouts at the NFL combine. Branch, who played at Cibola High School, will likely be a first-round selection in Saturday's NFL draft.

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Rio Rancho's Alan Branch finds comfort in the murmurs.

On paper he has led a charmed athletic life, but negative chatter always has been uninvited baggage, along for the ride.

Instead of making him bitter and guarded, the criticism helped Branch become a more fierce competitor eager to smile triumphantly in the face of all the haters.

"I've heard it all - `You'll never make it because you're from New Mexico and you never played against anyone good.' " Branch recalled. "When I decided to go to Michigan, it was supposed to be this really happy moment, but right away people said it was a mistake; that I could either be a big fish in a small pond by staying home or a small fish in a big pond by going away. They said I would never make it at Michigan. I used it all as motivation. I've always had something to prove."

Branch, a star at Cibola High and former Tribune Football Athlete of the Year, shined as star defensive lineman at Michigan. He shook off pesky naysayers and offensive lineman, flicking them away like they were tedious toothpicks.

His success at Michigan has him poised to be selected in the first round of this year's NFL draft, which begins Saturday and will be broadcast on ESPN.

Branch stands to haul in a multimillion dollar paycheck after completing a stellar junior season with the Wolverines. Most draft analysts project Branch will be a top-15 pick, which would make him the highest drafted NFL athlete from the Albuquerque metro area since former Eldorado quarterback Jim Everett was selected with the third overall pick in the 1986 draft by the Houston Oilers.

"I'm trying not to think about it too much, and I'm definitely not bouncing off the walls or anything like people think," Branch said. "I've always tried to stay really laid back and humble when good things are happening to me. This is special, but I don't want to focus on it too much. I'll just let it all come to me."

Branch will watch the draft at his parents' home in Rio Rancho. Along with his mother, father and three brothers, 24 relatives are expected to make the trek from Michigan to be by his side. Friends and coaches who helped Branch develop into a pro prospect also will join the celebration.

"The best part is probably going to be watching my family react to all of this," he said. "They're really excited, so that makes me really happy because my family has always been there for me. They pushed me when I needed it and have been supportive when I was down. I'm here because of them."

Branch's family is eager to defer the praise back to the athlete.

"This weekend will be our chance to celebrate Alan," said David Branch, Alan's father. "We are really excited to see him realize his dream of making it to the NFL. He has worked very hard as both a student and athlete, and we are very proud of him."

David Branch said his son always has handled the demands of being a star athlete with ease, taking the greatest joy in developing close bonds with his teammates and bucking stereotypes by being a strong student.

Alan earned several academic honors at Michigan, where he pursued a general studies major. He promised his family he would finish school and earn his Michigan degree in the NFL offseason.

Ben Dogra, Alan's agent from the high-profile SFX Sports Group, said Alan's affable character off the field and menacing aggression on it have made him an easy prospect to market.

"He's aggressive, smart, focused and the type of guy who can make amazing plays," Dogra said. "The only knock I can find against him is that he's young, but that's what makes him so great. He has yet to reach his potential, and I believe he'll develop into a marquee NFL player."

Most mainstream analysts from media outlets such as ESPN offer glowing assessments, but a swirl of blogs and fan sites are lofting criticism at Branch.

Some have said his stock is plummeting because he has stress fractures in his legs, a charge Dogra said is wrong, and would knock Branch out of the draft's top three rounds.

Branch said he suffered the stress fracture in high school but never missed a game in college. His worst injury since graduating from Cibola were shin splints and 32 doctors at the NFL combine deemed him healthy. Traces of the injury do appear on X-rays, feeding the rumors.

The same critics have noted he had a sluggish pro day workout at Michigan.

Dogra said Branch would never admit it, but he was sick and decided to do the drills anyway. The agent said Branch's workouts at the NFL combine and individual workouts for teams were strong, cementing his status as a first-round prospect.

"I'm not surprised people are saying that I'm slow and lazy right now because they're looking to bring me down," Branch said. "I've heard negative stuff before, and it just makes me better. It makes me focus harder to prove them wrong."

David Branch said his son takes great pride in his home state and is eager to build a professional career that would make people think twice before dismissing him and other New Mexico athletes.

"Alan, being from New Mexico, wasn't embraced the same way blue-chip athletes from places like California and Florida were, so he always has been eager to show the world that New Mexicans can compete against the best," David Branch said. "Brian Urlacher was the first to bring a lot of (acclaim) to the state and hopefully Alan is the next installment. I'm not comparing Alan to Brian Urlacher by any stretch of the imagination, but Brian opened that door to show New Mexico athletes can be successful and Alan wants to be the next person to hold the door open."