De La Salle High School near Oakland in Northern California has produced dozens of top Division I college football stars and more than its share of NFL players since becoming a prep football powerhouse about 30 years ago. At one point through the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Spartans won a national-record 151 consecutive games.
Notre Dame All-American lineman Aaron Taylor (1990-93) and standout Irish defensive tackle Derek Landri (2003-06) are members of the proud De La Salle football fraternity.
But there’s one particular former De La Salle star that shines brighter than any for a young Irish fan in the Bay Area.
Benicio Alumbaugh is the 2-year-old son of eighth-year De La Salle head football coach Justin Alumbaugh.
And each Saturday when dad is winding down after his work week, little Benicio is gearing up, impatiently waiting to watch and cheer on the best player he believes dad ever coached — Notre Dame sophomore defensive end Isaiah Foskey, a 2019 De La Salle graduate.
“We watch the Notre Dame games together. Benicio puts on his football helmet every game and says, ‘I’m Isaiah,’” Justin explained with a laugh. “He’s running around while the game is on, trying to tackle dad, it’s fun to watch.”
Little Benicio’s player admiration stems from a De La Salle football photo shoot in 2018 when Coach Alumbaugh asked Foskey to hold 6-month-old Benicio for a quick pic.
