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Do IT this week: Layering
By Tom Gaffney
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 08:22 p.m. EDT, Aug 26, 2009
Alex Allen well remembers the play, the excruciating aftermath and the subsequent tears.
It was Sept. 13, 2008, and the University of Akron was in the process of losing to Ball State 41-24 at the Rubber Bowl. Allen, then a junior tailback for the Zips, got the ball in the first half and looked downfield on what would become his last carry of the season.
Let him take it from there . . .
''It was a stretch play to the left. I got tripped up. I don't know if it was a late hit or not, but a D-lineman jumped on my back,'' Allen said. ''My knee hit hard and it forced my femur through the back of my hip.
''Absolutely, it was painful. I was crying, not so much from the pain, but because I knew something was seriously wrong. I knew something was messed up.''
The fractured left hip ended his 2008 season prematurely, led to surgery 10 days later and resulted in 11 months of rehabilitation that is still not complete.
''The doctors said they have never seen an injury like that on the football field before,'' said Allen, 22, a product of Ursuline High School in Youngstown. ''They said it was very rare.''
After the surgery, Allen had to spend two months mostly confined to his bed. Then came months and months of walking with a crutch and wearing a brace. During that stretch, his weight dropped from 205 pounds to 185. That was followed by more months of exercise and running to regain strength in the hip.
He was held out of spring drills and has been used sparingly this fall as the Zips prepare for their opener at Penn State on Sept. 5.
UA coach J.D. Brookhart expects Allen to play against the Nittany Lions, despite some obvious issues.
''It's pretty amazing what he has gone through. He has a confidence level he has to get over, and he will,'' Brookhart said. ''He has a fantastic attitude and is a great leader on this football team. Guys look up to him.
''He is working through things and how soon he feels 100 percent, I don't know.''
The injury took on another level of frustration because Allen had just gained a first-string role over Dennis Kennedy the previous game. In a 42-28 victory at Syracuse on Sept. 6, Allen started and rushed for 103 yards on 21 carries and scored two touchdowns. Against Ball State, he started again and had 36 yards on seven carries and one touchdown before being injured.
The Zips went on to finish sixth in the MAC in total offense and third in scoring. Kennedy, starting eight of the final nine games, finished with 1,321 yards rushing and scored 18 touchdowns.
''It was tough having to sit out, but I tried not to get too upset,'' Allen said. ''I figured God had a plan for me. I was glad the offense was able to roll and Dennis was able to have a great season.''
The injury actually was the second serious one of his Zips career.
As a freshman in 2005, he was used sparingly when the Zips won the MAC championship. As a sophomore in 2006, he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament that led to him being medically redshirted.
In 2007, he started slowly while recovering from the knee injury, but steadily progressed to the point where he finished second on the team in rushing with 420 yards and first in rushing touchdowns with seven.
Then came the injury last year — and the rehabilitation for 2009.
''We all thought he was something else when he came back from the first injury. And now this,'' said senior quarterback Chris Jacquemain, who was part of the same recruiting class as Allen in 2005. ''He has amazing character and work ethic. He has the mentality that he wants to get back. He wants to do it and you can tell in everything that he does that he wants to be out there.''
Allen, who rushed for 2,455 yards on 299 carries as a senior at Ursuline, said he expects to play against Penn State.
''I will be ready, as much as they will let me play. I am about 90 percent,'' Allen said. ''I still have to overcome some mental stuff. I am getting there. I am starting to feel it.''
Allen said he is optimistic about the 2009 season, the first in the new InfoCision Stadium.
''I always have goals, but they are pretty much team goals,'' the 6-foot, 205-pound Allen said. ''I want to go undefeated in the new stadium. I want to win a MAC championship and I want to go to a big bowl game.''
And forget about a certain play and a certain injury.
Tom Gaffney can be reached at tgaffney@thebeaconjournal.com.
Alex Allen well remembers the play, the excruciating aftermath and the subsequent tears.
It was Sept. 13, 2008, and the University of Akron was in the process of losing to Ball State 41-24 at the Rubber Bowl. Allen, then a junior tailback for the Zips, got the ball in the first half and looked downfield on what would become his last carry of the season.
Let him take it from there . . .
''It was a stretch play to the left. I got tripped up. I don't know if it was a late hit or not, but a D-lineman jumped on my back,'' Allen said. ''My knee hit hard and it forced my femur through the back of my hip.
''Absolutely, it was painful. I was crying, not so much from the pain, but because I knew something was seriously wrong. I knew something was messed up.''
The fractured left hip ended his 2008 season prematurely, led to surgery 10 days later and resulted in 11 months of rehabilitation that is still not complete.
''The doctors said they have never seen an injury like that on the football field before,'' said Allen, 22, a product of Ursuline High School in Youngstown. ''They said it was very rare.''
After the surgery, Allen had to spend two months mostly confined to his bed. Then came months and months of walking with a crutch and wearing a brace. During that stretch, his weight dropped from 205 pounds to 185. That was followed by more months of exercise and running to regain strength in the hip.
He was held out of spring drills and has been used sparingly this fall as the Zips prepare for their opener at Penn State on Sept. 5.
UA coach J.D. Brookhart expects Allen to play against the Nittany Lions, despite some obvious issues.
''It's pretty amazing what he has gone through. He has a confidence level he has to get over, and he will,'' Brookhart said. ''He has a fantastic attitude and is a great leader on this football team. Guys look up to him.
''He is working through things and how soon he feels 100 percent, I don't know.''
The injury took on another level of frustration because Allen had just gained a first-string role over Dennis Kennedy the previous game. In a 42-28 victory at Syracuse on Sept. 6, Allen started and rushed for 103 yards on 21 carries and scored two touchdowns. Against Ball State, he started again and had 36 yards on seven carries and one touchdown before being injured.
The Zips went on to finish sixth in the MAC in total offense and third in scoring. Kennedy, starting eight of the final nine games, finished with 1,321 yards rushing and scored 18 touchdowns.
''It was tough having to sit out, but I tried not to get too upset,'' Allen said. ''I figured God had a plan for me. I was glad the offense was able to roll and Dennis was able to have a great season.''
The injury actually was the second serious one of his Zips career.
As a freshman in 2005, he was used sparingly when the Zips won the MAC championship. As a sophomore in 2006, he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament that led to him being medically redshirted.
In 2007, he started slowly while recovering from the knee injury, but steadily progressed to the point where he finished second on the team in rushing with 420 yards and first in rushing touchdowns with seven.
Then came the injury last year — and the rehabilitation for 2009.
''We all thought he was something else when he came back from the first injury. And now this,'' said senior quarterback Chris Jacquemain, who was part of the same recruiting class as Allen in 2005. ''He has amazing character and work ethic. He has the mentality that he wants to get back. He wants to do it and you can tell in everything that he does that he wants to be out there.''
Allen, who rushed for 2,455 yards on 299 carries as a senior at Ursuline, said he expects to play against Penn State.
''I will be ready, as much as they will let me play. I am about 90 percent,'' Allen said. ''I still have to overcome some mental stuff. I am getting there. I am starting to feel it.''
Allen said he is optimistic about the 2009 season, the first in the new InfoCision Stadium.
''I always have goals, but they are pretty much team goals,'' the 6-foot, 205-pound Allen said. ''I want to go undefeated in the new stadium. I want to win a MAC championship and I want to go to a big bowl game.''
And forget about a certain play and a certain injury.
Tom Gaffney can be reached at tgaffney@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
San Diego, CA
Posted 01:37 AM, 08/27/2009
I'm not surprised that his rehab has taken a long time. I'm surprised that he'll be able to play football after that. I wonder what happened to the cartilage in the joint. I think Alex will be a candidate for a hip replacement at an early age. At least he'll probably know most of the exercises in the rehab.
Posted 12:44 PM, 08/27/2009
I am happy he is recovering we were there when they carted him off the field. Be part of a team is like being part of a family and for alot of those kids this is probalby the first real family they have had!! I say you GO!! We will be on the 45 yard line on Sept 12th 2009 GO ZIPS! WE LOVE YOU ZIPPY!!
Highland Square, OH
Posted 05:34 PM, 08/28/2009
@ zips fan
how would this be the first real family they've had? That's a heck of an assumption.
