Sibling rivalry
But there’s no trash talk between David and Desmond Anaya
One Anaya brother plays for the Lobos; the other is an Aggie
There’s been no smack talk this week between brothers David and Desmond Anaya, even though one’s a Lobo and the other’s an Aggie — and this is Lobo-Aggie week.
That’s not how it’s done, younger brother David says, in the Anaya family.
“There won’t be any smack talk,” David says. “We’re really close in our family. But we’ve always kind of laughed about the whole idea of playing (against each other), and now it’s gonna happen.
“So, it’s pretty exciting for the family and for me.”
Desmond Anaya, a 2008 graduate of Roswell Goddard High School, is a 6-foot-3, 245-pound senior defensive end at New Mexico State.
David, a 2012 Goddard grad, is a 5-11, 185-pound true freshman running back at UNM.
The Anayas are believed to be the first brothers to meet as Lobos vs. Aggies since the Houghtalings of Artesia — quarterback Ty of the Aggies and wide receiver Jeff of the Lobos — in 1996.
The Anayas’ father, Raymond, says he and his wife, Lynda, will be in the stands at Las Cruces’ Aggie Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
“We’re really, really excited,” the elder Anaya says. “We don’t know where to sit right now, though — the Lobo side or the Aggie side.”
Family ties, though, don’t make the Anaya brothers any less competitive.
“It’s a fun thing,” Desmond says, “but we both take a lot of pride in this game. I really want to win it.”
Roswell, in southeastern New Mexico, is almost equidistant from Albuquerque and Las Cruces. It’s not surprising, then, that the Anaya brothers’ loyalties fell along different lines.
David, 18, recalls attending a UNM game in Albuquerque with his father some nine years ago and watching Roswell native DonTrell Moore star at running back for the Lobos.
Ever since, he says, “I’ve always loved the Lobos. I’ve always wanted to live in Albuquerque and be a Lobo.”
Desmond, in contrast, says he always wanted to be an Aggie.
Even so, Desmond enrolled at Eastern New Mexico in the fall 2008 — even though NMSU had invited him to join the Aggies as a preferred walk-on.
“We went around looking for apartments in Las Cruces,” Raymond Anaya says. “Then, right before school started, he decided he wanted to go to Eastern.”
Playing time was scarce for Desmond at ENMU, however, and after two seasons he transferred to New Mexico State and joined the Aggies as a walk-on.
Desmond’s little brother, meanwhile, was fashioning a spectacular athletic career at Goddard.
A two-time all-state running back, David also won a state wrestling title at 182 pounds as a senior. He’d been a state runner-up the year before.
His first athletic love, though, was always football. He came to Albuquerque this summer without a scholarship and quickly made an impression.
In the Lobos’ 66-21 rout of Southern on Sept. 1, Anaya rushed for 65 yards on seven carries. He didn’t carry the ball in UNM’s lopsided losses at Texas and Texas Tech, but continues to have a presence on special teams. He had one kickoff return for 15 yards at Tech.
“I’ve been working my heart out, trying to do the best I can to earn a scholarship,” he says. “But right now it’s all about helping the team, helping the team get a win.”
For Desmond Anaya, it’s all about helping the Aggies (1-2) beat the Lobos (1-2) for the fourth consecutive year — something that hasn’t happened since long before either brother was born.
In three games this year, Desmond — playing as a backup — has been in on 13 tackles, with two tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and one quarterback sack.
“I’ve always followed (the rivalry),” Desmond says. “When I was little, it seemed like the Lobos were always winning. I want to make sure the Aggies get the win this year.”
The Anayas’ cousin, Raul, played defensive back for the Aggies in the late 1990s-early 2000s. He’s an NMSU graduate, but also has an MBA from UNM.
And there could be more Anayas on the way. Desmond and David’s younger brothers, Raymond and John, play football for Goddard and Roswell’s Berrendo Middle School, respectively.
As a bonus Saturday, Raymond and Lynda Anaya will get to watch their son David lead the Lobos onto the field, carrying the state flag, as this week’s “New Mexico Man.”
A UNM walk-on will have that designation before every home game, as well as for Saturday’s in-state rivalry game.