JAY PARIS COMMENTARY: Aztecs' Allen is thirsting for a winning season
By JAY PARIS - Staff Writer | ∞
SAN DIEGO ---- Playing football for San Diego State, and keeping a positive attitude, requires some doing. But linebacker Russell Allen is the ultimate glass-half-full type of guy.
Make that water bottle half-full.
"He does everything right,'' Aztecs coach Chuck Long said. "He carries around a water bottle instead of a Coca-Cola or Gatorade, everywhere he goes. It's all about doing the little things for his body and his mind, and those are the things you notice about Russell.''
Judging by Saturday's sparse turnout for the team's scrimmage at Qualcomm Stadium, few took note that college football is coming fast. Sure enough, San Diego State welcomes Cal Poly on Aug. 30, then it's off to Notre Dame on Sept. 6.
Some might speculate that translates into another 0-2 start for the Aztecs ---- Cal Poly beat them two years ago and the Irish don't need to give their frustrated alumni fuel by losing to a lower-tier Mountain West Conference team.
But Allen isn't buying that San Diego State football is the same as it ever was ---- that the Aztecs, who've gone 12-24 in Russell's time, are headed for another stinker.
Russell's summer song is something about the times, they are a changin'.
"Absolutely ---- I really, really do believe that,'' said Allen, a former Vista High star. "Going on Year 5 of being here, I've seen a huge change in this program. It's like a different place, and there's a different feeling.
"The No. 1 thing is we are very, very tight. We rely on each other more than ever before. I can trust the man on the left and right to me. And that is going to take us a long way when the game is on the line late in the fourth quarter.''
Cynics say they have to keep the score close until that fourth quarter. But on a cloudless day in Mission Valley, we're not going to rain on Allen's parade.
If we did, he would find a positive out of it anyway.
"He is just so committed,'' said San Diego State wide receiver Eric Miclot, a teammate of Allen's since their Vista days. "He is always talking about football; he pays attention in the meetings even if he is not required to. He's always eating right, drinking water all the time ---- always doing stuff the right way.''
Allen is usually right-on on Saturdays, which is why he's a candidate for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker. He's also a preseason All-Mountain West selection ---- the only Aztec ---- and bent on making last year a steppingstone to this one.
Despite recording 22 tackles in a 2007 loss to Utah and averaging a conference-best 10.6 tackles per game, Allen isn't satisfied.
"As far as I'm concerned, I haven't achieved anything,'' the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Allen said. "We've yet to have a winning season, and that is what every athlete aspires to do ---- win games. Until that happens, I still have something to prove.''
It seems the Aztecs are a staple on the skeptic alert meter. After 10 years in the MWC, they're the only conference team not to reach a bowl game. They not only ended that last year with 4-8 showing, but under an avalanche of yards and points in losses to Air Force, Texas Christian and Brigham Young.
But listen to Allen, and everything is going to be OK. No, really. He mentioned the word "change" so often we asked if Barack Obama was writing his material.
"We need change from last year ---- that was not what we were hoping for,'' said Allen, who had a team-high 119 tackles in '07. "So until things change, that is what we are striving for. And we are on that way.''
Allen is doing his part, putting his petro where his mouth is.
Come again? Allen was so keen on everyone taking part in offseason workouts that he offered to be a chauffeur.
"He said if guys couldn't come to practice because they had car trouble or were too far away, he would pick them up himself,'' Miclot said.
Even at $4 a gallon for gas?
"Luckily, not too many people needed his help,'' Miclot said.
Allen is never shy about lending a hand, whether it's getting a teammate lined up correctly or assisting on yet another tackle.
Plus, he's one of few San Diego State honks talking about battling Cal Poly instead of that epic trip to South Bend, Ind.
"Honestly, it's not hard at all as far as I'm concerned,'' Allen said. "That Cal Poly game is the most important game on our schedule.''
He remembers being on the receiving end when Division II Cal Poly sucker-punched the Aztecs.
"That game two years ago, that hurt,'' he said. "And we know we got something to prove this game, and that is where our focus is.''
Zero in on San Diego State and the active Allen quickly enters the picture. He's playing on the outside this year, but he's seldom on the outside looking in on the action.
"He can play anywhere he wants and anywhere we want him,'' Long said. "He just wants to win, he's a winner and he's trying to position this football team in any way that he can to do that.''
Allen will toast that notion ---- with water, no doubt.
Contact staff writer Jay Paris at jparis8@aol.com.
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