USF's Alison Harbaugh brings leadership qualities to Bulls' lacrosse team

Alison Harbaugh is no stranger to competition

Alison Harbaugh during a team practice.

Alison Harbaugh during a team practice.

"For me and my cousins, it has just been a great thing to look up to," Harbaugh said. 

About Alison Harbaugh

The backstory:

As the niece of Los Angeles Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh and daughter of Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John, competition runs through Alison's veins. 

READ: USF women's lacrosse team set for inaugural season

"We, still, when I'm home, do one-on-ones against each other," Alison said about her dad. "He's always my biggest fan. He is always in my corner."

Alison Harbaugh during a team practice.

Alison Harbaugh during a team practice.

But Alison is more than just a famous last name; she proves it each and every time she steps onto the field for the USF women's lacrosse team. 

"That's just her heart," explained Bulls Head Coach Mindy McCord." "It's her character, and it's how she was raised."

Joining the Bulls' lacrosse team

Dig deeper:

Entering her final year of NCAA eligibility, Alison chose to spend it in Tampa and transferred to USF to help the Bulls in their first season of lacrosse.

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"You could see how much USF athletics was putting into the lacrosse team right away, so that was incredible. It was a great opportunity to start a team and be a part of that," Alison said. 

For Alison, it was also a chance to reconnect with McCord. The two have known each other since Alison was in middle school

McCord speaking to Alison and her teammates during a team practice.

McCord spoke to Alison and her teammates during a team practice. 

Back then, McCord's husband, Paul, was a coach on John Harbaugh's staff in Baltimore. McCord even recruited Alison when she was coming out of high school, making this a reunion a few years in the making. 

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"We get someone with that kind of experience that was a total fit for our culture and she has been exceptional with the leadership that she has provided," McCord said. 

Alison’s leadership

It didn't take Alison long to display those leadership qualities, either. Recently, Alison signed an NIL deal with Caddix Cleats and made sure her teammates each got a free pair. 

Alison giving her teammates free pairs of cleats from her NIL deal.

Alison gave her teammates free pairs of cleats from her NIL deal. 

"Obviously, it's a very me-driven world that we live in," McCord said. "But, Alison will take what she's given, and she'll want someone else to experience it."

By paying it forward, Alison hopes to leave a legacy that will last beyond her final season and the first season of USF lacrosse. 

"It's incredible just to be able to leave a mark for future teams to come," Alison said. 

The Source: FOX 13's Sean Barie collected the information in this story.

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