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NFL draft: Branch deserves credit for success, parents say

By Iliana Limón
Friday, April 27, 2007

Rio Rancho residents David and Valarie Branch aren't planning on quitting their jobs.

They aren't scouting bigger homes or luxury cars.

And they aren't bracing to become millionaires Saturday morning.

Their son, Alan, is projected to be a top-15 pick in this weekend's NFL draft. It will make them parents of a bona fide star professional athlete, who is expected to sign a multimillion dollar contract.

"We're very proud of Alan, but this is his dream and success he earned, not ours," David Branch said. "We have just been there to support Alan. We certainly are very happy that he has a chance to become a professional athlete, but it's not about us. It will always be about Alan and his career."

But there would not be Alan and his career if it were not for David and Valarie Branch.

They grew up in Detroit, where David played football games with neighborhood youths and developed into a strong high school athlete.

He was recruited by the University of New Mexico and visited the school during Thanksgiving in 1978.

"I left Michigan where it was snowing and everyone was wearing coats, and in Albuquerque people were all wearing shorts and the weather was nice," David said. "I ended up liking the coaches and the people I met and fell in love with the weather, so I was sold on moving to New Mexico."

Valarie and David both attended UNM.

He posted a modest football career, never making anywhere near the splash his son made on the national stage, but David added he had a great college experience.

The couple had their first son, David Jr., while they were still in college.

They opted to stay in New Mexico after graduation, eventually moving to Rio Rancho.

"We liked the community and decided this would be a nice place to raise our family," David said.

Now they have four boys - David Jr. is 25 and lives in Albuquerque, Alan is next in line at age 22, Brandon is 13 and Desmond is 10.

"You have to know I have four handsome boys," David said. "They are all very special. My wife and I are equally proud of all of them."

David works for the city of Rio Rancho in the public safety division, and his wife is a nurse.

They have emphasized education as their top priority and were supportive when all four boys decided to play sports. They have been careful to make sure athletics didn't become too demanding or stressful for their children.

"It's a completely different world than when I first started playing sports, but I know that sports can still teach a lot of great values and life lessons," David said.

The strong family support continued for Alan when he opted to play college ball at Michigan. Most of his relatives, including his grandmother, live half an hour away from the campus in Ann Arbor.

The lessons instilled by the Branches have been especially important for Alan, whose success has ushered in tougher decisions and national scrutiny.

The tight family structure seems to have worked perfectly for Alan, who is easygoing and still sees football as a sport that, above all, is a lot of fun.

"I've always had a lot of family support and that definitely made it easier for me to get to this level," Alan said.

His father dutifully sat Alan down before he headed off to college and warned him about the barriers he would face, ranging from tough practices to tougher classes.

"He gave me a lot of advice, but when you're young you don't always listen," Alan said. "I took it in, but I thought I knew everything. It was good to have him around when I needed advice later on and was ready to listen."

The Branches played a role in Alan's decision to choose Michigan and opt to leave the school at the end of his junior season to participate in this year's draft.

They gave him advice, supplying the logical answers when Alan's heart was tugging him equally to stay with his teammates rather than turn pro.

"It was easier for us to help him make the list of pros and cons . . . but it's always been Alan's decision," David said. "He decided what was best for his future."

Alan's future will likely include the joy of being an elite draft pick and the struggle to prove himself as a rookie against the world's best football players.

David and Valarie Branch will be there to support him, attending games and offering sober advice.

But they also will be keeping their day jobs and going about raising their two young boys.

"I don't think this is the life-changing experience everyone thinks it will be," David Branch said. "This is a special time for our family, but it's only because we are so proud of Alan. Like I said, this isn't about us, this is about Alan."