Beyond the X: Muhammad Ali's grandson Biaggio Ali Walsh sows football future at Bishop Gorman

LAS VEGAS — Pull the lever at Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) High School and out spins a boatload of athletic kids with celebrity genes.

Randall Cunningham Jr. is the football team's star quarterback and Chase Maddux, son of former MLB star Greg Maddux, will be on the varsity baseball team in the spring.

Nine-time NBA All-Star Gary Payton's boy Julian is a sophomore basketball player, and starting varsity football safety Nicco Fertitta is the son of Lorenzo Fertitta, owner of the UFC and other sports enterprises.

But Gorman hit the jackpot among celebrity children with a freshman running back who may just be the greatest of them all.



Biaggio Ali Walsh, 15, is the grandson of Muhammad Ali, simply known as "The Greatest." And not only that, he may be the perennial national power's next premier back.

Through four freshman games, all victories, the fast and fluid 5-foot-10, 165-pounder has rushed for 10 touchdowns, including four Wednesday in a 28-10 win over Liberty (Henderson, Nev.).

"He's a phenomenal football player," said Gorman freshman coach Rob Burgman. "He's got as much skill and works as hard as any football player I've ever had in 34 years of coaching. And I thought that before I knew who his grandfather was."

To many, of course, Ali was the greatest heavyweight boxer of all-time, a three-time world champion whose stance on social and religious issues along with a playful and charismatic personality made him a polarizing global figure. Sports Illustrated crowned him the "Sportsman of the Century" for the 20th century at the same time the BBC named him "Sports Personality of the Century."

But to Biaggio (pronounced Bee-ah-gio) and his 13-year-old brother Nico, Ali has always been known simply as "Papi," their grandfather. 

See our special Biaggio Ali Walsh photo gallery

The oldest son of Rasheda Ali-Walsh and Bob Walsh, Biaggio and his grandfather are close and often communicate through Skype or FaceTime after games. Hudl video of Biaggio's games are also sent to Ali, who now resides in Scottsdale,Ariz., with third wife Lonnie Ali.

The two plan to chat on FaceTime today, Biaggio said. He will have plenty to talk about following Wednesday's performance.

"He always tells me how proud he is of me," Biaggio said. "That makes me feel happy and strong."

Video by Tony Mixx/Edited by Ryan Escobar
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Sting like a bee

Stricken with Parkinson's disease 1982, the 71-year-old Ali can't always express his pride or joy through words, said his daughter who wrote a book on the disease in 2005.

But Ali, known during his heyday for poetry and hyperbole, always gets his point across.

"His eyes light up every time he talks to the boys," Rasheda said. "But especially so when Biag (short for Biaggio) does well in sports."

Ali's eyes might require flicker mode, because Biaggio appears to be on a fast track to stardom.

Blessed with the speed of his mother (Rasheda was a sprinter and cross country runner in high school), the strength and agility of his father (Bob was a gymnast and his family is filled with soccer players) and the athleticism and quickness of Ali, Biaggio appears blessed with more than enough athletic DNA to succeed.



Burgman, known for his rough exterior and tough love, is most impressed with his star running back's innards. Though the 56-year-old fully admits that Ali is an idol — a picture of the boxing great sits prominently on his desk — Burgman repeats that he knew nothing about Biaggio's lineage before passing judgment.

The only thing greater than Biaggio's talent, he said, is his attitude.

"From the start, it's been ‘Yes sir' and ‘No sir,'" Burgman said. "No sense of entitlement."

That's a sticking point for Burgman, who said he came from nothing, but that his father taught him "To fight, scratch and claw for everything in this world." Burgman, from Long Island in New York, wound up playing football in the Ivy League.

"I've coached many kids with famous backgrounds," he said. "Nobody gets preferential treatment here. You earn it every day and keep earning it. That's what Biaggio continues to do. He's just an amazing kid. He's one you want to carve out and coach forever. He's the one you want to marry your daughter. From day one, he has been something special."

That bodes well for the Gorman varsity squad, which has racked up a 59-5 record and won four straight state titles since coach Tony Sanchez arrived in 2009. With a strong stable of backs, Biaggio has no chance to be called up to varsity this season, but Sanchez definitely has his radar locked in.



"He's a good player," Sanchez said. "We'll see how he develops. Right now he looks pretty darn good. Good speed, good size and good feet."

But does he sting like a bee?

"Right," Sanchez said with a giant grin. "He's doesn't look like he's afraid of contact. He stings like a bee."
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New generation
Sanchez's generation gets the reference — Ali's famous "Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee" poem for George Foreman — but most of Biaggio's generation does not.

"Some on the team don't even know who Muhammad Ali is," Burgman said.

Biaggio, in fact, said he didn't start understanding the scope of his grandfather's fame and influence until he attended the 2007 Orange Bowl in Miami. Ali and Arnold Palmer were honored before the game pitting Louisville (Ali's hometown) and Wake Forest (Palmer's alma mater) against each other. During the coin toss, the throng of more than 80,000 began chanting Ali's name, which happened routinely whenever he fought.

"It really got to me," Biaggio said. "I felt proud and honored. They were chanting 'Ali.' I remember thinking, ‘That's my name.'"



Said Rasheda: "I think at that moment the boys realized their Papi was more than just their grandfather. He was special to a lot of people."

There have been other more enlightened moments, Biaggio said.

Like the time in 2009 when Ali and his wife surprised the boys at a youth basketball game they played at Silverado Springs Recreation Center in Henderson, Nev. Rasheda and Walsh knew they were coming, but no one else did, including the head coach, who didn't even know the boys' lineage.

Walsh and Rasheda rarely share the family tree, unless asked. It's not to be secretive, but to simply let the boys make their own path.

Since the boys resemble Walsh's Italian side of the family, more than Ali's African-American side, people rarely make the connection.

"People lost their minds," Rasheda said. "Everyone wondered what the heck is Muhammad Ali doing at this old dingy gym watching a recreation basketball game?"



Biaggio was one of them. 

"I'm playing in the game and all of a sudden, I see my grandpa in the corner, surrounded by everyone," he said. "People were taking pictures and asking for autographs. I was kind of shocked myself.

"He loves the attention. But sometimes it (all the attention) can get a little annoying."

It wasn't annoying in February of 2012, when some of the heavyweights of the entertainment world honored Ali for a 70th birthday bash at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The event, which also raised awareness and money for Parkinson's disease, ALS, Multiple Sclerosis and others, lasted five hours and featured performances from Stevie Wonder, Lenny Kravitz, Snoop Dogg, John Legend and LL Cool J, who brought down the house with "Mama Said Knock You Out."

Nico, still not comprehending Papi's fame told Walsh: "This is a little over the top, isn't it?"

By now, both boys realize nothing is over the top for their grandfather, especially when Bruno Mars tweeted out that a recent Louisville concert he performed at was dedicated to Ali. Mars is a family favorite.



"That was awesome," Biaggio said.

Said Rasheda with a laugh: "The kids thought that was the neatest thing ever. I think that cemented their grandpa's legacy forever."
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Taking from the past
Their grandpa's illness — spurred by the boxing — almost impeded Biaggio's football career.

Rasheda has spent much of her adult life studying Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative disorders, which led her 2005 children's book entitled "I'll Hold Your Hand So You Won't Fall: A Child's Guide to Parkinson's Diseases."

Since 2007, she has sat on the advisory board of BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics.

She's obviously sensitive to the brain trauma her father sustained over a 30-year boxing career, but also acknowledges that 80 percent of Parkinson's is environmental — nutrition, lifestyle, genetics.

Still, football is a contact sport, and Biaggio is susceptible and the target of a lot of hard hits. She was on board during the fun flag football playing days from ages 8-11. But when the progression to tackle came at age 12, there was a lot of soul searching and discussion with Walsh.



"Of course I wasn't overly excited about it," she said. "Naturally I was a little nervous about possible concussions and long-term injury. We have to listen to our bodies and use precaution and education.

"But he loves the sport. He's passionate about it."

Just as her father was about his.

Though the rigors and pounding of boxing certainly contributed to Ali's deteriorating health, Rasheda rejoices the abundant life the sport gave him. She also said her research on Parkinson's brought her closer to her dad and helped her sons gain a special sensitivity to not only him, but life in general.

"Dad has no regrets so how could any of us," she said. "(Boxing) introduced him to the world. Boxing changed his life. And his life helped change part of the world."

She only saw her dad box once in person and it wasn't "so pretty," like he often described his own face.

It was his last fight, in fact, a sluggish 1981 10-round unanimous decision loss to Trevor Berbick in the Bahamas. The anticlamactic defeat, at age 39, finished an illustrious career with a record of 56-5.

Rasheda was only 11 at the time and said it was a memory she'd soon forget.

"It was just dreadful," she said. "It was almost unfair. (Berbick) was light-years younger than my dad, who was older and out of shape. He shouldn't have fought."

The fight was in such sharp contrast to her dad's younger days when he was known for his hand speed, footwork and showmanship. That's the man Biaggio watches on YouTube videos and remembers most. He gave a history report in elementary school on his grandfather and offered first-hand facts and color from Ali about Sonny Liston, the "Thrilla in Manilla" and the famous left hook from Smokin' Joe Frazier.

"I always ask him about what it was really like back then," Biaggio said. "I don't know that I've told him, but I'm so proud to be his grandson and for all he did and all he stood for."

Ali wasn't nearly universally beloved back in the 60s and 70s like today. Far from it. His stance on the Vietnam War, religious views and, at times, outlandish personality caused great controversy.

At this point in his life, Biaggio hasn't been confronted with any of that, but his mother, who was, has warned him.

"I've told him that some people aren't going to be so happy that he's Muhammad Ali's grandson - for all the wrong reasons," she said. "I know, because I lived through it. People don't know the truth about him or about the time he lived in.



"I have a lot of time to tell Biag about his life. I want to share all of it because he's such a wise man. He's been around the block. … A couple times. Somehow he was always able to stay a step ahead of everyone."

Ultimately, before Biaggio took the tackle football field, that was the request she made of her son too. In the physical sense anyway.

"I told him that he just has to be faster than everyone else so no one can tackle him," she said with a laugh.
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Carving his own path
Early in his freshman year, Biaggio's the one who has inflicted most of the damage. His competitive side got the best of him in a home game with Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) on Saturday.

Under a searing sun and temperatures approaching 100 degrees, Biaggio was well on his way of reaching his goal of five touchdowns with three in the first half. But he had to sit out the second half with heat exhaustion.

"Biaggio is always trying to get better and pushing himself," Rasheda said. "He's a lot like my father in that way."

Said Biaggio: "I want to go to college and play in college. I want to play a gigantic role in whatever team I'm on. I want to be recognized."

Doesn't everyone?

The only advice mom, the daughter of a legend herself, gave to her son - other than run fast - is "Be true to yourself and everything will be OK."

So far Biaggio has heeded that advice and it's worked very well, said Gorman freshman guard Justice Watson.

Besides calling him "The best back I've ever blocked for - his vision and speed and knowledge of the game is unreal," Watson said Biaggio "is one of the coolest kids he's ever met." The two met for the first time last month.

"He's funny too," he said. "Everyone knows him because he's such a funny guy. He's a nice dude. He'll talk to anyone. But he never brings up his grandpa. Only if you ask him about it. That's kind of cool."

Besides athleticism, Ali and his grandson connect at the funny bone, Rasheda said.

"I see the same mannerisms, the same twinkle in their eye," she said. "If either of them are in an elevator with lots of people and there's that awkward silence, they'll do something silly to make everyone laugh. They're just both built that way."

The family had a good laugh Wednesday at Liberty, when the public address announcer kept calling him "Biggio," like Craig Biggio, instead of Biaggio. 

"I know my name and my family knows my name, and that's all that matters," he said with a smile.

He'll be linked to that name and his grandfather forever, which is easy to embrace, but it also can be a tremendous burden.

"The kids have tough shoes to fill," Rasheda said. "I tell Biaggio all the time, 'You're not going to be Muhammad Ali.' But he's ambitious like my father. I see he has ambition."

Ali is Biaggio's middle name. He will forever be intertwined within his grandson's identity. But watching Biaggio run with the ball, gliding and cutting gracefully, it's apparent he's carving his own path down the field, and into his young life.

"My name can take me only so far," Biaggio said. "I have to carry it the rest of the way."