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improvement in all areas of his game. Transitioning from a supremely athletic young safety into one who now has the benefit of three starting seasons at his disposal, Allen described himself as "more mature as a whole" this spring. Although he's proud of his triple-digit tackle total and the blocked kick from a season ago, Allen has turned his attention to coverage skills and open-field tackling. He's still without an interception as a Nit- tany Lion, but he said he's not weighed down by that statistic and is instead using it as an impetus for improvement. "If it's something that I didn't produce last season, that's something I'll pay at- tention to and try to incorporate into my game now," he said. "Those forced fum- bles, I only had one, so I'll try to make sure it's five times more. Or, no interceptions, I try to work on that every day just to try to get that knack so it will be easier. If I have an opportunity that comes, it'll be done." Having generated great enthusiasm among Penn State fans with his decision to return, Allen is keenly aware of his po- tential to make a significant contribution to the Lions' success. And while the ex- pectations are correspondingly high, he doesn't regard them as real pressure. "Football is football," he said. It's a game he played as a child and one that he's eager to continue playing. But he does feel a responsibility to his team, coaches, fans and himself. "It feels like I've got to go to work," he said. "A lot of people are hoping for a lot, so it comes with the territory. I'm just going to have to work my butt off this off-season, in spring ball and then in camp. Then I'll play out for the fans and everything." Allen said he's grown spiritually during the past year. He takes the time to pray every day, thanking God for another opportunity to mature as a person and compete as a football player. The heartache hasn't abated, but it's accompanied by something else, a desire to make the most of the opportunities he's been given. "When I think about it now, that stuff hurts," Allen said. "You don't ever want to see your family like that crying. That stuff hurts. When I talk about it now, it just makes me want to do something extra, just to make sure that if something happens, this has to be it. This has got to be the year." ■ P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L >> John Reid had more pass breakups than any Penn State player last season. He also finished as one of the Nittany Lions' top 10 tacklers and ranked third in the Big Ten with a punt return average of 7.5 yards. That kind of production won't be eas- ily replaced, but the Lions will have to find a way after the junior cornerback went down with a leg injury in spring practice. While Penn State hadn't com- mented on Reid's injury as of BWI's press date, he could miss some or all of the upcoming season. One piece of good news for the Lions is that they've built up significant depth in their secondary. Barely an hour after the news of Reid's injury broke on April 6, assistant coach Terry Smith took to Twitter to extol PSU's other corner- backs. Smith posted a number of video clips of the team's recent practices in which those players are seen breaking up passes and making interceptions. In the first clip, returning starter Grant Haley goes one-on-one against DeAndre Thompkins. The pass is slightly over- thrown, but Haley shows the recovery speed and technique that have allowed him to play effectively in 34 games throughout his career. Haley missed three games due to an injury last year but led all cornerbacks with 39 tackles. In another clip, senior Christian Campbell hangs tight with Juwan John- son, disrupting his sightline. Campbell has good length and height, and his jun- ior year was his best at Penn State, as he finished with 31 tackles, an interception, a fumble recovery and six pass breakups. Early enrollee Lamont Wade appears in the third and fourth clips. In the first, he faces off with Thompkins, giving the wideout some cushion at first, but then jumping the comeback route and inter- cepting the pass. In the second clip, Wade goes against Johnson and stays tight before Johnson cuts inside on a dig route. The move creates some momen- tary separation, but Wade recovers in time to swat the ball away. As the na- tion's best cornerback in the Class of 2017, Wade could see additional playing time with Reid out of action. Because PSU often had three corner- backs on the field at the same time last season, five players saw significant ac- tion. If the Lions use that approach again in 2017, there are a number of players who will likely be relied upon heavily. Amani Oruwariye seems to be the most likely candidate for an expanded role, as he saw action in 10 games last year and had 23 tackles, an interception and a pass deflection. Redshirt freshmen T.J. Johnson and Zech McPhearson are also in line for additional reps, and true freshmen Tariq Castro-Fields, D.J. Brown and Donovan Johnson will all join the mix this summer. – TIM OWEN Depth at CB gives Lions options in wake of Reid's injury FAMILY SNAPSHOT Marcus Allen with his grandfather, Clyde Allen. Photo courtesy of the Allen family

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