The562’s coverage of football in 2023-24 is sponsored in part by the MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center Foundation and Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital Foundation
The562’s coverage of Millikan athletics in the 2023-24 school year is sponsored by Curtis Boyer.
The latest milestone in the storied high school career of Ryan Pellum was reached on Thursday afternoon in the Millikan gym. The Rams’ do-it-all senior and future USC Trojan unveiled his Under Armour All-American jersey, becoming the first All-American in Millikan Football history.
“It’s just rewarding for all the work we’ve put in since he was five years old,” said Ryan’s older brother and Millikan head coach Romeo Pellum. “It’s just all paying off and everyone is noticing it now. There was a point in time where no one cared about Millikan. No one respected us. But now we’re demanding that respect, and everyone will respect us and they know we’re coming.”
“It feels great, because not a lot of people make it here,” said Ryan. “Especially not a lot of people coming out of Millikan so, it’s good to represent.”
Pellum will be competing in the Under Armour Next All-American Game, held in Orlando, Florida this coming January. He joins a great list of Long Beach athletes who’ve competed in that event, including Long Beach Poly’s Daylen Austin, who played in last year’s game and is now at the University of Oregon.
Pellum said he’s excited to showcase his talents on the big stage and that he’s got a little more up his sleeve that we haven’t yet seen on the field.
“I’m definitely excited to give what I’ve been holding back and show what I’ve got,” he said. “That lightning in a bottle, I’ve been holding that back.”
The State of Florida is no stranger to storms, and now they’ve got to prepare for one of Long Beach’s both dynamic athletes on offense, defense, and special teams. Pellum was the Moore League’s Player of the Year as a sophomore, is a two-time First Team All-League selection, and will surely garner more accolades following his senior season.
As usual, there were several generations of Pellums in attendance for the lunchtime celebration, along with the Millikan cheerleaders and dozens of Rams football players from all levels.
The impact that the Pellums have made on Millikan Football has been profound, with now more than 150 kids in the program (and growing), a run of four consecutive seasons with a Power 5 recruit, and now an All-American for the first time ever.
“Our names are linked to this program,” Ryan said. “So me going out there is gonna represent our names, plus the program, and our family. So it’s really gonna put us on the map after that.”
