Blue White Illustrated

LAST WORD T I M O W E N | O W E N . T I M . B W I @ G M A I L . C O M could only laugh when I first heard the criticisms – and there were plenty. It was after one of Penn State's final defensive plays of the Michigan State game, a decisive third down on which Marcus Allen came barreling through the line of scrimmage on a cover-zero safety blitz. Displaying the same fire and passion that made him a four-year starter and the Nittany Lions' all-time leading tackler among defensive backs – he broke Drew Astorino's record early this season – Allen made one of the more regrettable decisions of his other- wise extraordinary career. Hitting QB Brian Lewerke low and late, he was flagged for a personal foul, negating an incompletion that would have main- tained a tie score. The Spartans moved into field-goal territory, and three plays later they won, 27-24. Allen had cost them the game, the critics howled. As they attributed to Allen the loss, a 60-minute contest in which there were 149 snaps from scrim- mage, all I could do was shake my head. If we're buying into the idea that one play can make or break an entire out- come, then let's take a quick glance back through Allen's career and outline how many games he won for you. And to save space, let's focus only on the blocked field goal against Ohio State a year ago and the fourth-down tackle at the line of scrimmage on Wisconsin's final play in the Big Ten Championship Game. If he lost the Michigan State game, then he won those – perhaps the two most important PSU victories in decades. Penn State fans were disappointed after the loss to the Spartans, and right- fully so. The Lions had been ranked sec- ond in the country only eight days earlier, and expectations were soaring after last year's Rose Bowl appearance and seven consecutive wins to start the 2017 season. But without Allen, any na- tional championship presumptions wouldn't have existed in the first place. Other players, of course, have been factors in the Nittany Lions' recent suc- cess. Saquon Barkley is the engine. Trace McSorley is the driver. Jason Cabinda is the voice. Allen is the heartbeat. One week after Penn State's loss in East Lansing, it returned home to beat Rut- gers, 35-6. Allen might have finished with only three tackles, but he quickly returned to his missile-launching self against the Scarlet Knights, appearing not to skip a beat. Asked afterward if it was a response to the way the previous game ended, Allen responded succinctly. "I express my ways of feeling on the field," he said. Does he ever. As a senior captain, he tries to lead by example. He's not long- winded with his messages. Rather, he wants his demeanor to make the point. That's on the field, of course. The photos of his celebrations and arm- raising crowd-pumpers have already made him the default face of many scholarship offer announcements on Twitter. But it's also in the locker room, on the practice field and wherever team interactions occur, and there's usually one common thread: He's dancing. Most important, he's having fun. "I think it's your everyday life," Allen said of his approach. "Your young guys are going to look at you and see how you respond through adversity. I know that's what it comes with as far as being a captain and a leader, so I try to harp on that as well." Aside from the intangibles that Allen brings to the defense, there's no ques- tioning his physical gifts. His build is as unique as his personality. He's 6-foot-2 and 207 pounds and he launches himself around the field with recklessness, like a linebacker playing defensive back. If there was a knock on his game before this season, it was that he wasn't as effective in the pass game as he was in run support. So, this season he grabbed his first interception and has disrupted more passes than he has in his career. The combination of athletic ability, skill and personality have made him one of assistant coach Tim Banks' most valu- able players. "I've had guys his size who maybe weren't quite as athletic or guys who are a little smaller who may be a lit- tle bit faster, but when you start talking about an overall combo guy, I don't know if I've had a combo guy with that type of skill set with that type of size," Banks said. "He can do it all. You can drop him in the box and he can play as a linebacker or you can play him on the hash and he can play as a regular safety." An argument can be made that he's the best safety ever to play at Penn State, although there are many candi- dates to challenge that assertion. When taking into account his aggressiveness in bringing down ball carriers, however, there are fewer like him. And when fac- toring in the unique sort of energy that he exudes, the Lions haven't really had anyone like him. The chance to be remembered like that, not just for winning or losing spe- cific games, but simply for his presence, is why Allen does it. "You want to play and have the fans remember your name for years, so that was definitely my goal [coming to col- lege]," Allen said. "I just want my name to be remembered." No worries, it will. And hopefully it's for the right reasons. ■ Impact player I

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