Ben Allen had an important choice to make and in the end, he opted to follow his heart.
The star quarterback of the Kelvin Clippers had five schools looking at him and one of those schools was in his hometown.
University of Manitoba Bisons head coach Brian Dobie loves Allen’s athletic ability, but already has a logjam at quarterback so he offered Allen an opportunity to compete at receiver.
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The University of Toronto, Queen’s University and the University of British Columbia were also interested in Allen, but ultimately, he opted to commit to the Simon Fraser University Clan, who are leaving Canada West to play NCAA Division II football this fall.
“It was a really tough choice,” said Allen, who plans to study kinesiology. “I definitely wanted to be a quarterback. I’ve been playing this position since I started. It’s great to be able to be heard by everyone and really lead by example.
“It’s definitely a challenge for me, going to American football and trying to develop as a player.”
Although the Clan are in a rebuilding phase, Allen sees the potential and is excited about the opportunity to compete for the job as the No. 1 pivot.
“I’m going into a great situation there and trying to win the starting spot there,” said Allen, noting that Vince Young of the Tennessee Titans and Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons are two of his favourite quarterbacks.
Allen played his final football game in his home province on Sunday, helping Team Robson to an impressive 46-14 victory over Team Wilkes in the 2010 Rona Senior Bowl at Canad Inns Stadium.
“It’s been a great ride here and it’s great to celebrate this with some of my great friends and great players,” said Allen. “It was nice to put the cleats on again and get going because I haven’t played since the fall. It was nice to get a few throws in.
“I was surrounded by great talent here and it was definitely a good time.”
Allen displayed excellent poise throughout the game, splitting time at quarterback with Tyler Viera of Sisler.
Along with a 45-yard rushing touchdown, Allen also threw a 16-yard touchdown to Tyler Pich, who caught two touchdown passes and kicked a field goal in the contest.
Allen certainly impressed former Bisons quarterback John Makie.
“(Allen) has quick feet and he’s got quite an arm,” said Makie, who was on the Team Robson coaching staff and is entering his second season as the Bisons’ quarterbacks coach. “His best quality is his ability to escape out of the pocket and do something with his feet.”
By KEN WIEBE, Winnipeg Sun
Last Updated: May 30, 2010 10:11pm
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