THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 27, 1996 TAG: 9608270427
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 78 lines
Terry Allen rarely has much to say. He dislikes the media because reporters keep asking what it's like to be the only player in NFL history to rush for more than 1,000 yards after having reconstructive surgery on both knees. The inference is that Knee Injury 3 is right around the corner.
He's angry at his original employer, the Minnesota Vikings. They released him prior to last season, scared that his knees wouldn't take the pounding of another season on artificial turf.
He's not wild about his current boss, the Washington Redskins. First, they signed him for what Allen felt was the ridiculously low price of $450,000 last season. Then they waited until just before training camp to give him a one-year, million-dollar-plus offer that he agreed to because no other teams were bidding for him.
Everyone has missed the point, Allen argues. The essence of pro football is that you're always one play from the end of your career. Didn't Emmitt Smith, Dallas' paragon of durability, nearly lose everything recently when his own lineman accidentally landed on the back of his knee?
``The biggest thing about getting over those kinds of injuries is never having to think of them again,'' Allen says.
So he runs to forget, nearly as well as the best backs of his era.
Although he has been in the NFL for six seasons, Allen has carried the ball in just four. The others were lost to knee injuries. But in three of those four seasons, he has rushed for more than 1,000 yards. His debut last season with the Redskins was his most spectacular.
Allen carried 338 times, second-most in team history. He ran for 1,309 yards, second only to John Riggins for a Redskins' single season and third in the conference behind Dallas' Smith and Detroit's Barry Sanders.
The Redskin with the second-most carries and yards rushing, Brian Mitchell, finished with 46 and 301. And though Mitchell is back and the Redskins have a promising rookie in Stephen Davis, Allen will be Washington's running attack in 1996.
``I go by production,'' Redskins coach Norv Turner said. ``Terry Allen is as productive as the guys who are always mentioned as the league's best running backs.''
Before last season, Allen had just ten 100-yard games in his career. Now, he has 14, including a 121-yard effort in one of Washington's victories over Dallas.
``That's one thing I think made the Redskins want to bring me in,'' Allen said. ``They wanted someone who they knew in tough games was going to get the yards that were there and in the easier games would get those yards, plus some more. I think they wanted some consistency.''
Just 5-10, 208 pounds, Allen rarely bowls over the opposition. Rather, he runs away from it, finding a hole, sensing where the tacklers are going to be, then veering sharply away from it.
``I've never said this about anyone before, but it's a pleasure to block for Terry Allen,'' guard Bob Dahl said. ``He always makes the right cut. He's got the most amazing feel for the game.''
Mitchell and Davis will occasionally spell Allen. Very occasionally.
Mitchell is one of the league's best return men. Turner loves him there, although he was intrigued enough by Mitchell's college experience at quarterback that he devised some plays to take advantage of that last season. Those plays remain, and Turner has developed a couple of new ones for Mitchell out of Washington's new shotgun formation.
Davis is a lot like Allen, a slashing runner who began to feel more comfortable the last two weeks of the preseason. He could be a factor as the season wears on, though Allen would have to falter first.
Fullback is another story.
Rookie Larry Bowie is closing in on the starting job, though veteran Marc Logan returns to practice this week and a decision likely won't be made on Allen's backfield mate until Friday.
``He really stepped up,'' Turner says of Bowie. ``He's a big, physical guy at 230 pounds and he does a nice job of running into people. We've been looking for someone like that.''
Turner's also been looking for a fullback who can catch the ball out of the backfield. Logan had his moments last season, catching 25 passes, but he also dropped several in crucial situations. Bowie has handled just about everything thrown his way. His potential to improve makes him appealing as Allen's escort. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Terry Allen rushed for 1,309 yards on 338 carries last year. by CNB