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http://www.mlive.com/spartans/index.ssf/2014/02/former_michigan_state_football_8.html
February 21, 2014
EAST LANSING — Overlooked, underrated and all but forgotten with the NFL combine upon us this weekend, Denicos Allen finds himself in an all-too-familiar position.
The chip on the shoulder of the former Michigan State linebacker is sure to grow wider and deeper as he watches the combine workouts on television (NFL Network), thinking to himself he's better than many of the players who were invited ahead of him.
"I've already seen the list, and honestly, I can't help but think that,'' Allen said on Thursday. "Once I found out I wasn't invited to the combine, that motivated me even more to prove to people that what you see on film of me is what you will get.
"I don't know what people are thinking. I guess I'll just have to show them again.'''
NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said on aTuesday conference call that Allen "flashes,'' showing up around the ball often, and that "he almost looks like a safety.''
Allen, currently 5-foot-10 and 225 pounds, quickly interprets the message: Too short and too small to handle the rigors and responsibilities of an NFL linebacker.
"Being the leading tackler on the best defense on the nation, and not being recognized, it's like I think to myself, 'How many times do I have to prove I can play with anyone despite my size?' '' Allen said. "I didn't hear anything from my agent about playing in any of the all-star games. It was like after the Rose Bowl, I was forgotten about.
"I kind of took that personal. I was upset at first about the whole thing, that maybe I didn't get the recognition I deserved. But you know what? That's life.'''
That has indeed been the story of Allen's football life, as he has had something to prove going back to the bitter rejection from his home state school, Ohio State, coming out of Hamilton High School.
"Quite honestly, Denicos is having to overcome the same thing he had to overcome coming out of high school,'' Michigan State linebackers coach Mike Tressel said on Thursday. "His high school film showed he deserved an offer from every team in the country, but people shied away because of his stature. We didn't.
Former Michigan State linebacker Denicos Allen will be remembered as
one of the most fierce players to don the Spartans' colors.Brandon Howell | MLive.com
"We didn't care that he was short, or that his dimensions suggested he was a defensive back. We said, 'this guy is impossible to block, and we want him.' ''
The Buckeyes, meanwhile, made it clear Allen was not up to their lofty recruiting standards.
"They basically told me the head coach didn't like my film enough to make a (scholarship) offer,'' Allen said.
Allen, of course, had the last laugh at the Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Dec. 7 in Indianapolis, making what amounted to the game-winning play in Michigan State's 34-24 victory.
Ohio State faced a fourth-and-2 from the Spartans 39-yard line with 5:41 left, trailing 27-24.
Allen attacked on the snap of the ball, fending off the block of 6-6, 252-pound tight end Jeff Heuerman en route to the edge -- finding himself isolated in the open field with Buckeyes' quarterback Braxton Miller (6-2, 216).
Allen dropped Miller 1-yard short of the first down marker, thwarting Ohio State's potential game-winning drive and snapping the Buckeyes' 24-game win streak and national title game hopes. It lifted the Spartans to their first Rose Bowl appearance in 26 years.
About a month earlier, Allen unleashed himself with the same sort of passion against Michigan in a 29-6 victory over the Wolverines, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors with nine tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks.
"You can call us what you want, call us little brother, big brother,'' Allen said after the game. "But when it is on the field, we show who is the big brother is and who is the little brother.''
Allen, however, finds himself in the frustrating position of not being able to show anything this weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium at the NFL combine. He's had weeks of splitting his time between class at Michigan State and training with former Spartan Greg Jones at High Velocity Sports in Canton, Mich.
"I guess my size is a big deal, and I'm only 5-10, but I've been starting in the Big Ten three years, and I'd say those are some of the biggest guys in college football,'' Allen said. "The perfect (NFL) example was the Super Bowl MVP, Malcolm Smith, he's 5-10 1/2 and 226 pounds. That proves size doesn't matter, players make plays. I feel like that's in my blood, that's all I know.''
Allen also knows that he can't fret too much about things he can't control.
For now, that means finishing up class at Michigan State and working toward completing his sociology degree -- and turning his attention to the Spartans "Pro Day" workout in front of NFL scouts, tentatively scheduled for March 11.
"I've been training hard every day, eating the right things,'' Allen said. "I can run fast, I'm strong and I'm quick. I believe I can play linebacker or safety at the next level, and I believe in myself.
"So I didn't get invited to the combine. I'm pretty sure if I was 6-feet tall it would be a different story, but I don't think two inches would make me play any differently.''
Tressel doesn't either, and he suggested Allen's height is the only thing that has prevented more NFL teams from showing interest at this stage of the process leading up to the May 8-10 draft.
"It's because he's short, there's no doubt,'' Tressel said. "But I have no doubt if he gets in the right spot, he'll help a team. There have been plenty of other great linebackers that weren't the tallest: Mike Singletary (6-0), Zach Thomas (5-11) and Sam Mills (5-9), to name a few. Denicos can easily get over 230 pounds and play in the box.
"I'll say this, not to take anything away from Max Bullough or Shilique Calhoun, who are both tremendous players, but when I've run into coaches from other teams at the coaches convention or on the road, they all tell me the same thing: 'Number 28 (Allen) was the guy that made your front seven.' ''
Allen simply wants to make an NFL team.
"I truly believe I can play linebacker or safety at the next level,'' Allen said. "Wherever I go, wherever they want me to play, I'll go out and prove myself.
"You know, I was raised around a tough group of people, that's all I ever knew — being tough. I never knew what it was like to take the easy route to success, so there's a reason this happened.''
February 21, 2014
EAST LANSING — Overlooked, underrated and all but forgotten with the NFL combine upon us this weekend, Denicos Allen finds himself in an all-too-familiar position.
The chip on the shoulder of the former Michigan State linebacker is sure to grow wider and deeper as he watches the combine workouts on television (NFL Network), thinking to himself he's better than many of the players who were invited ahead of him.
"I've already seen the list, and honestly, I can't help but think that,'' Allen said on Thursday. "Once I found out I wasn't invited to the combine, that motivated me even more to prove to people that what you see on film of me is what you will get.
"I don't know what people are thinking. I guess I'll just have to show them again.'''
NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said on aTuesday conference call that Allen "flashes,'' showing up around the ball often, and that "he almost looks like a safety.''
Allen, currently 5-foot-10 and 225 pounds, quickly interprets the message: Too short and too small to handle the rigors and responsibilities of an NFL linebacker.
"Being the leading tackler on the best defense on the nation, and not being recognized, it's like I think to myself, 'How many times do I have to prove I can play with anyone despite my size?' '' Allen said. "I didn't hear anything from my agent about playing in any of the all-star games. It was like after the Rose Bowl, I was forgotten about.
"I kind of took that personal. I was upset at first about the whole thing, that maybe I didn't get the recognition I deserved. But you know what? That's life.'''
That has indeed been the story of Allen's football life, as he has had something to prove going back to the bitter rejection from his home state school, Ohio State, coming out of Hamilton High School.
"Quite honestly, Denicos is having to overcome the same thing he had to overcome coming out of high school,'' Michigan State linebackers coach Mike Tressel said on Thursday. "His high school film showed he deserved an offer from every team in the country, but people shied away because of his stature. We didn't.
Former Michigan State linebacker Denicos Allen will be remembered as
one of the most fierce players to don the Spartans' colors.Brandon Howell | MLive.com
"We didn't care that he was short, or that his dimensions suggested he was a defensive back. We said, 'this guy is impossible to block, and we want him.' ''
The Buckeyes, meanwhile, made it clear Allen was not up to their lofty recruiting standards.
"They basically told me the head coach didn't like my film enough to make a (scholarship) offer,'' Allen said.
Allen, of course, had the last laugh at the Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Dec. 7 in Indianapolis, making what amounted to the game-winning play in Michigan State's 34-24 victory.
Ohio State faced a fourth-and-2 from the Spartans 39-yard line with 5:41 left, trailing 27-24.
Allen attacked on the snap of the ball, fending off the block of 6-6, 252-pound tight end Jeff Heuerman en route to the edge -- finding himself isolated in the open field with Buckeyes' quarterback Braxton Miller (6-2, 216).
Allen dropped Miller 1-yard short of the first down marker, thwarting Ohio State's potential game-winning drive and snapping the Buckeyes' 24-game win streak and national title game hopes. It lifted the Spartans to their first Rose Bowl appearance in 26 years.
About a month earlier, Allen unleashed himself with the same sort of passion against Michigan in a 29-6 victory over the Wolverines, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors with nine tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks.
"You can call us what you want, call us little brother, big brother,'' Allen said after the game. "But when it is on the field, we show who is the big brother is and who is the little brother.''
Allen, however, finds himself in the frustrating position of not being able to show anything this weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium at the NFL combine. He's had weeks of splitting his time between class at Michigan State and training with former Spartan Greg Jones at High Velocity Sports in Canton, Mich.
"I guess my size is a big deal, and I'm only 5-10, but I've been starting in the Big Ten three years, and I'd say those are some of the biggest guys in college football,'' Allen said. "The perfect (NFL) example was the Super Bowl MVP, Malcolm Smith, he's 5-10 1/2 and 226 pounds. That proves size doesn't matter, players make plays. I feel like that's in my blood, that's all I know.''
Allen also knows that he can't fret too much about things he can't control.
For now, that means finishing up class at Michigan State and working toward completing his sociology degree -- and turning his attention to the Spartans "Pro Day" workout in front of NFL scouts, tentatively scheduled for March 11.
"I've been training hard every day, eating the right things,'' Allen said. "I can run fast, I'm strong and I'm quick. I believe I can play linebacker or safety at the next level, and I believe in myself.
"So I didn't get invited to the combine. I'm pretty sure if I was 6-feet tall it would be a different story, but I don't think two inches would make me play any differently.''
Tressel doesn't either, and he suggested Allen's height is the only thing that has prevented more NFL teams from showing interest at this stage of the process leading up to the May 8-10 draft.
"It's because he's short, there's no doubt,'' Tressel said. "But I have no doubt if he gets in the right spot, he'll help a team. There have been plenty of other great linebackers that weren't the tallest: Mike Singletary (6-0), Zach Thomas (5-11) and Sam Mills (5-9), to name a few. Denicos can easily get over 230 pounds and play in the box.
"I'll say this, not to take anything away from Max Bullough or Shilique Calhoun, who are both tremendous players, but when I've run into coaches from other teams at the coaches convention or on the road, they all tell me the same thing: 'Number 28 (Allen) was the guy that made your front seven.' ''
Allen simply wants to make an NFL team.
"I truly believe I can play linebacker or safety at the next level,'' Allen said. "Wherever I go, wherever they want me to play, I'll go out and prove myself.
"You know, I was raised around a tough group of people, that's all I ever knew — being tough. I never knew what it was like to take the easy route to success, so there's a reason this happened.''
