After appearing in the Senior Bowl, the next stop for 2012 Hinsdale Central graduate Jack Allen is a trip to the NFL Combine later this month.
Life the last two months has been moving rapidly for the Michigan State center from Hinsdale.
Jack Allen played in the Senior Bowl on Jan. 28 for the North team, which lost to the South 27-16 in Mobile, Ala.
“I think the week (in Mobile) went well,” Allen said. “It was a little different than I thought going in. After three to four days, there was almost no minute that was not accounted for. There was a lot of media and teams arrive with questions. You take a test for football and you have to learn the playbook and new terms.”
The Dallas Cowboys staff coached the North and Allen worked with Dallas offensive line coach Frank Pollack. Allen was there with two Michigan State teammates, receiver Aaron Burbridge and defensive end Lawrence Thomas.
Allen played right guard in the entire second quarter and center in the fourth quarter. He’s glad he got a chance to show off his adaptability to the pro scouts in attendance.
“It shows how you can be versatile playing whole different positions. That’s something good to show,” Allen said.
He snapped the ball to former Louisiana Tech quarterback Jeff Driskel on the final play of the game when Driskel tossed a 29-yard touchdown pass to Burbridge.
“Having the Cowboys staff was cool,” Allen said. “You definitely get the feel of how things are called and for the coaches. It was good working with them. It was great.”
Allen received his invitation to the NFL Combine three weeks before the Senior Bowl. CBSsports.com rates him as the No. 2 center in the draft behind Alabama’s Ryan Kelly.
The 6-foot-2, 296-pound Allen was a starter on the Spartans’ offensive line with his younger brother, Brian, on Dec. 5 when the Spartans beat Iowa 16-13 in the Big Ten Championship. Both Allens also played Dec. 31 when Michigan State lost 38-0 to Alabama in the NCAA semifinal game in Arlington, Texas.
The next day, Jack Allen signed with an agent. He is with Athletes First, the same Laguna Hills, Calif., agency that represents Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett.
Jack Allen returned home for one day, then on Jan. 2, flew to Southern California to begin training for the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine. He is working out daily at Proactive Sports Performance in Santa Ana, Calif.
The NFL Draft begins April 28 in Chicago.
Twitter: @geomwilcox
NFL Combine
Schedule for offensive linemen
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Tuesday, Feb. 23: Arrival, hotel registration, orientation, interviews
Wednesday, Feb. 24: Measurements, medical examinations, interviews
Thursday, Feb. 25: NFLPA meeting, psychological testing, bench press, interviews
Friday, Feb. 26: On-field workouts, departure