Bryan Ayala is one of the best players from the Houston, Texas area in the Class of 2022.
The 5-foot-4, 135-pound Ayala, who attends Summer Creek High School, is a talented player that works as a wide receiver, running back and safety.
Ayala has played for the Atascocita Titans, Woodcreek Middle School Lions and Texas Footwork Bengals (7v7) during his outstanding youth career.
Ayala has earned plenty of accolades from his time as an athlete so far, such as being named Offensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player.
Ayala is humbled by the recognition.
“The awards mean a lot and that all the hard work I put in paid off. They motivate me to want to keep getting better,” Ayala said. “Because I’m not satisfied with the past. I want to keep moving forward to have a bright future.”
No matter the opponent, on each snap Ayala is determined to give it his all.
Ayala is going all out.
The motor is always at full throttle whenever Ayala steps between the lines.
“My mindset is to always be the best I can be. I want to go hard every snap I’m on the field,” Ayala said. “I want my opponent to have to grind for everything they get out there.”
Ayala has great passion and energy whenever he’s on the gridiron. Ayala tells why he enjoys the game of football so much.
“I love the adrenaline rush that I get every time I step on the football field,” Ayala said. “Football is a way for me to express my emotions in a positive way through being physical.”
Ayala has learned many valuable lessons from playing football that he applies to his everyday life.
The main one is applying perspective to all situations.
“Football has taught me so much about life,” Ayala said. “It’s something that I am very passionate about. So I’ve learned to use that same energy towards other areas of my life as well.”
Ayala recalls his favorite football memory.
“When I was playing with the Atascocita Titans, it was fourth and 19 in a playoff game and we were up by 3, we needed to seal the win,” Ayala said. “So I ran a streak up the field and caught it over the three safeties. This is my most memorable play of my football career so far.”
Wayne Edwards has coached Ayala for one year with the Texas Footwork Bengals.
Edwards explains the best parts of Ayala’s game.
“At safety, Brian does an excellent job of reading the quarterback’s eyes and reacting to the ball. At wide receiver, he finishes routes well and makes smooth transitions out of breaks to finish catches,” Edwards said. “At safety I like his communication in the secondary echoing calls and making sure his teammates are properly lined up. Bryan is very fluid in his hip movement and tracking the ball in the air to make plays. At wide receiver, he is a shifty slot receiver that can create surprising separation.”
Ayala takes his role as one of the leaders on the team very seriously. Ayala makes sure he’s a daily positive influence on his peers.
“I demonstrate being a good teammate by showing leadership and motivating my teammates,” Ayala said. “The best advice I give is to always keep your head up and forget about the last play.”
Edwards adds that Ayala is one of those consummate teammates that every squad needs to be successful.
“He leads with his on-field communication. He’s a leader by example that sets the tone through his dedication,” Edwards said. “That attitude rubs off well on his peers for sure.”
Ayala is appreciative of having amazing male role models that are supportive.
“My coaches have helped make me a better player and person,” Ayala said. “They tell me about how important it is to have discipline and respect. They tell me to stay determined and never quit.”
Edwards is an advocate of Ayala’s capabilities.
“He made several big pass breakups and a key interception in a semifinal game of a tournament that put us in the championship game,” Edwards said.
In addition to making clutch plays, Ayala also has a high level of football IQ as well.
Ayala has excellent football awareness that puts him in position to thrive.
“He plays larger opponents with good angles and body positioning,” Edwards said. “He loves the game and always asks questions to continue to learn situational football.”
Ayala is on the grind to perfect and hone his craft in any way possible.
“Bryan has great work ethic and trains at Texas Footwork in speed and agility trainings to improve his quickness and enhance his endurance,” Ayala said.
Edwards explains why he compares Ayala to this player.
“He’s a lot like Eric Weddle,” Edwards said. “He is always around the football and reads the quarterback’s eyes with anticipation.”
Meanwhile, Ayala patterns his play after this standout.
“Antonio Brown because he’s short, quick and fast, but that doesn’t stop him from being the best receiver in the league,” Ayala said.
Ayala is constantly striving for greatness in everything that he does.
“I want to keep my focus on school and football,” Ayala said. “To keep grinding and take care of my family.”
Before the pros, Ayala dreams of being the next great star at Ohio State.
“It is one of the best D-1 football colleges and a lot of NFL players have made it out of there,” Ayala said. “It would be an honor to play for Urban Meyer and continue the tradition.”
Ayala lists math as his favorite subject in school.
“I like working with numbers and I’m really good at it,” Ayala said. “It’s a very important subject that you need in the real world.”
Edwards outlines the next areas of improvement for Ayala.
“Bryan needs to improve on his route running and coverage recognition. He can also improve his man-to-man coverage skills,” Edwards said. “Continued work on his footwork and studying coverage more closely to find holes in the defense.”
Edwards believes the sky is the limit as long as Ayala continues to stay hungry.
“Bryan has very good Division I potential and projects to conferences like the Mountain West, Conference USA, or the Sun Belt,” Edwards said.
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