Cortez Allen

Last updated

Cortez Allen
Cortez Allen.jpg
Allen with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2012
No. 28
Position: Cornerback
Personal information
Born: (1988-10-29) October 29, 1988 (age 34)
San Diego, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:197 lb (89 kg)
Career information
High school: Citra (FL) North Marion
College: The Citadel
NFL Draft: 2011  / Round: 4 / Pick: 128
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:168
Interceptions:6
Forced fumbles:3
Pass deflections:34
Defensive touchdowns:1
Player stats at NFL.com

Cortez Lequon Allen (born October 29, 1988) is a former American football cornerback. Allen grew up in Citra, Florida and played college football at The Citadel. Allen was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Contents

High school career

Born in San Diego, California, Allen graduated from North Marion High School of Citra, Florida in 2006 prior to being recruited to The Citadel. [1] [2] While in high school, Allen played varsity football only in his senior year and also ran on the track and field team. Allen earned all-state and all-city football honors in his one year of varsity football and was part of the 2005 regional championship team. [2]

College career

Allen posted 120 tackles and 5 interceptions in his career with the Bulldogs football team of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, returning two for touchdowns. [3] As a freshman in 2006, Allen played in four games and had one assisted and one solo tackle. He redshirted the 2007 season. In 2008, as a sophomore, Allen played all 12 games and started 6. Against Furman (October 18), Allen made a season-high seven tackles, and against Samford (October 25), Allen made six tackles (including one for loss) and broke up one pass. [2]

In his junior season (2009), Allen played and started in all 11 games. Of his 57 total tackles in 2009, 36 were solo. [2] Following Citadel's victory over Samford on October 31, the Southern Conference named Allen the Defensive Player of the Week for six solo tackles and two interceptions returned for 110 yards. [4] For 2009, Allen earned second-team All-Southern Conference honors. [2] Allen would again earn second-team honors in his senior season (2010), having made 23 tackles (13 solo), 6 passes defended (most in the team), and 2 interceptions (returned for 18 yards). Allen also made 8 red zone stops, including two at the one-yard line. [5]

Professional career

Before the draft, analyst Mel Kiper Jr. considered Allen a "sleeper" who would be selected in the third or fourth round. [6] Kiper also described Allen as "a big corner who runs well, tests well athletically and has good strength". [6] Allen was invited to the NFL combine and performed all the position drills and workouts. At the Citadel's Pro Day on March 28, 2011, he stood on his combine numbers but performed the vertical again, posting 37 1/2 inches this time. Scouts were very high on his physical tools and size but said he had to develop his awareness and was a raw prospect lacking the natural coverage instincts that are needed to be an NFL starter. [7] [8]

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 1+1⁄4 in
(1.86 m)		197 lb
(89 kg)		32+1⁄4 in
(0.82 m)		8+5⁄8 in
(0.22 m)		4.51 s1.57 s2.60 s4.01 s6.76 s35+1⁄2 in
(0.90 m)		10 ft 9 in
(3.28 m)		18 reps
All values from NFL Combine [8]

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Allen in the fourth round (128th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft. [9]

2011

On July 28, 2011, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Allen to a four-year, $2.43 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $293,625. [10] [11] Due to injury, Allen missed much of training camp. [12]

Allen played 15 games in the 2011 season and missed Week 6 (October 9) due to an ankle injury. He debuted professionally in Week 1 (September 11) against the Baltimore Ravens on special teams. [5] In Week 2 (September 18), Allen and Arnaz Battle made a special teams tackle of the Seattle Seahawks' Leon Washington during a third quarter kickoff return. [13] On October 23 (Week 7) against the Arizona Cardinals, Allen made his first defensive tackle. [5] Allen made four defensive tackles on October 30 (Week 8) against the New England Patriots and was part of a defense that limited Tom Brady to 198 passing yards. [5] In Week 9 (November 6) against Baltimore, Allen made three defensive and one special teams tackle. Allen left the Week 17 (January 1, 2012) game against the Cleveland Browns due to a shoulder injury. He did not return to that game and was inactive for the Steelers' Wild Card game. [5] Allen finished his rookie season with 15 tackles. [1] He regularly played on nickel and dime defenses. Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau commented about Allen: "We always liked his size to speed ratio and he's got an innate feel for the ball." [12]

2012

For the 2012 season, Allen played in 15 games with three starts. He had 55 tackles, 10 passes defended, 2 interceptions returned for 6 yards, and 3 forced fumbles. [1] Twice in the season, Allen substituted for injured cornerback Ike Taylor. [14] Allen made a career-high five tackles in Week 6 (October 11), a Thursday night match against the Tennessee Titans. [5] In Week 16 (December 23) against the Cincinnati Bengals, Allen picked off two passes from Andy Dalton and returned the interceptions for a cumulative 6 yards. Allen also forced a fumble from Cincinnati receiver A. J. Green. [15] In the season finale on Week 17 (December 30) against the Cleveland Browns, Allen forced two fumbles, both of which were followed by Steelers touchdowns. In the second quarter, Allen stripped a received ball from Josh Gordon, with Lawrence Timmons recovering. Then in the fourth quarter, Allen forced a fumble from Travis Benjamin after Benjamin caught a pass. Allen returned the fumble 21 yards and set up a possession that led to a touchdown. [14]

2013

Allen played in 14 games in the 2013 season. Allen struggled with injuries during the 2013 season, as well as the return of veteran cornerback William Gay to the Steelers after a 1-year stint with the Arizona Cardinals. Allen scored his first touchdown against the Packers after intercepting a pass from Matt Flynn that was intended for Jarret Boykin. The Steelers won the game 38-31. Allen finished the season with 51 total tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 touchdown, and 13 pass deflections.

2014

On September 6, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Allen to a five-year, $24.6 million contract extension that includes $9.75 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $6.75 million. [16] In Week 3 of the 2014 season, the Steelers lost cornerback Ike Taylor to a forearm injury. Allen stepped in as his replacement. While playing the Buccaneers the week after, he recorded 7 tackles as well as an interception. The next week, facing the Jaguars, he intercepted a pass from rookie quarterback Blake Bortles in the 2nd quarter. He finished the game with 7 tackles and an interception. On October 17, the Steelers benched Allen in favor of veteran Brice McCain.

2015

Allen played in one game for the Steelers in 2015. He was placed on injured reserve in October. [17] He was released by the Steelers on April 15, 2016. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rod Woodson</span> American football player and coach (born 1965)

Roderick Kevin Woodson is an American former professional football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Woodson was drafted in the 1987 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers and played his first ten years there, and was a key member of the Baltimore Ravens' Super Bowl XXXV championship team. He also had two shorter stints for the San Francisco 49ers and two seasons with the Oakland Raiders. Widely considered one of the greatest all-time defensive players ever, Woodson holds the NFL record for fumble recoveries (32) by a defensive player, and interceptions returned for touchdown (12), and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1993. His 71 career interceptions is the third-most in NFL history. He was an inductee of the Class of 2009 of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio on August 8, 2009. Woodson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016. He played most of his career as a cornerback then switched to safety during the later part of his career. Woodson was most recently the head coach of the XFL's Vegas Vipers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nate Clements</span> American football player (born 1979)

Nathan D. Clements is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft with the 21st overall pick, and also played for the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ike Taylor</span> American football player (born 1980)

Ivan "Ike" Taylor is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft, and spent his entire 12-year career in Pittsburgh. He played college football at University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Tillman</span> American football player (born 1981)

Charles Anthony Tillman, nicknamed "Peanut", is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terence Newman</span> American football player (born 1978)

Terence Newman is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, and Vikings. He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, earning unanimous All-American recognition. He was selected by the Cowboys with the fifth overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnathan Joseph</span> American football player (born 1984)

Johnathan Lee Joseph is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Joseph also played for the Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans, and Arizona Cardinals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leon Hall</span> American football player (born 1984)

Leon Lastarza Hall is a former American football cornerback. He played college football for the University of Michigan, and earned consensus All-American honors. Hall was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft and also played for the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Oakland Raiders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Gay (cornerback)</span> American football player and coach (born 1985)

William Gay is an American football coach and former cornerback, who is the current defensive backs coach for the Missouri State Bears. He played college football for the University of Louisville for head coach Bobby Petrino from 2003 to 2006 before being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He would later win Super Bowl XLIII with the team over the Arizona Cardinals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tracy Porter</span> American football player (born 1986)

Tracy O'Neil Porter is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Porter is best known for being a crucial player during the 2009 New Orleans Saints season, in which he famously intercepted Brett Favre in the NFC Championship Game and won Super Bowl XLIV, sealing the game by famously intercepting Peyton Manning and returning it for a touchdown. He played college football at Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dre Kirkpatrick</span> American football player (born 1989)

D'Andre Lawan "Dre" Kirkpatrick is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football at Alabama and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alterraun Verner</span> American football player (born 1988)

Alterraun Ennis Verner is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, earning first-team All-American honors. Verner was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was voted second-team All-Pro and named to the Pro Bowl with the Titans in 2013. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Smith (cornerback)</span> American football player (born 1988)

James Michael Smith is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens with the 27th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bradley Roby</span> American football player (born 1992)

Bradley Roby is an American football cornerback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State. He has also played for the Houston Texans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T. J. Carrie</span> American football player (born 1990)

Travis J. Carrie is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football at Ohio after playing for De La Salle High School where he was an all-state cornerback, and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Carrie has also played with the Cleveland Browns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adoree' Jackson</span> American football player (born 1995)

Adoree' K. Jackson is an American football cornerback and return specialist for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at USC and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Byron Jones (American football)</span> American football player (born 1992)

Byron Philip Jones is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football at UConn, and was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft after a stellar combine performance. He holds the unofficial world record for the standing long jump at 12 feet 3 inches. He played five seasons for the Cowboys, where he was once named Second-team All-Pro and made the Pro Bowl. A free agent after his fifth season, Jones signed a five-year, $82 million contract with the Miami Dolphins, making him at the time the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desmond King (American football)</span> American football player (born 1994)

Desmond King II is an American football cornerback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He earned All-Pro honors in 2018 as both a defensive back and a punt returner. He played college football at Iowa, and was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Tennessee Titans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minkah Fitzpatrick</span> American football player (born 1996)

Minkah Annane Fitzpatrick Jr. is an American football free safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, and was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft before being traded to the Steelers during the 2019 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damontae Kazee</span> American football player (born 1993)

Damontae Tyron Kazee is an American football safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He played college football at San Diego State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Whitehead</span> American football player (born 1997)

Jordan Tyler Whitehead is an American football safety for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Cortez Allen". NFL. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Cortez Allen". CitadelSports.com. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  3. ↑ ESPN stats page
  4. ↑ "Bulldogs Earn Two SoCon Players of the Week for the Second Consecutive Week". CitadelSportscom. November 2, 2009. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Cortez Allen". Pittsburgh Steelers. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  6. 1 2 "Citadel's Allen among SoCon hopefuls" The Post and Courier , April 29, 2011
  7. ↑ "Cortez Allen/the Citadel, CB: 2011 NFL Draft". NFLdraftscout.com. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  8. 1 2 "Cortez Allen". Nfl.com. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  9. ↑ "2011 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  10. ↑ "Spotrac.com: Cortez Allen contract" . Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Overthecap.com: Cortez Allen contract". Spotrac.com. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  12. 1 2 "Rookies growing up on the job for Steelers". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 6, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Seattle Seahawks vs. Pittsburgh Steelers - Play By Play - September 18, 2011". ESPN. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  14. 1 2 Fittipaldo, Ray (December 31, 2012). "Steelers Notebook: DB has nose for turnovers". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  15. ↑ Rivers, Christina. "Cortez Allen Becoming A 'Principled Leader' On Steelers' Defense". KDKA. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Spotrac.com: Pittsburgh Steelers' contract". Spotrac.com. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  17. ↑ Bouchette, Ed (April 15, 2016). "Steelers release cornerback Cortez Allen". post-gazette.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  18. ↑ Hagemann, Andie (April 15, 2016). "Steelers release Cortez Allen; Rams keeping Zuerlein". nfl.com. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.