Kornacki: Placekicker Allen Lets Passion be His Guide
9/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 15, 2015
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan kicker Kenny Allen could've accepted a scholarship offer from Oregon State as a senior at Fenton (Michigan) High, and never would've had to consider student loans. But he decided to walk-on at the school he loved. Allen recalled attending spring games at Michigan Stadium with his parents, cheering wildly for the Wolverines and his favorite punter, Zoltan Mesko.
He let passion be his guide.
Allen didn't make the field as a freshman and played sparingly the last two seasons, earning a varsity letter in 2014. However, the scholarship offer didn't materialize until this, his senior year at Michigan, after head coach Jim Harbaugh decided Allen was his placekicker and central to a unit that's made huge strides.
"I'm very pleased with the monumental improvement in the kicking game," said Harbaugh, "and the operation of the field goal unit -- the protection, the snap, the hold, the kick. We've probably come as far in that area since spring practice as any area on our football team. It's a vast improvement.
"Kenny Allen kicked the ball through the uprights (with two field goals against Oregon State on Sept. 12) and also was good in the kickoff game."
Allen made kicks of 40 and 29 yards against the Beavers, who once wooed him unsuccessfully, and made a 29-yarder at Utah while also missing a 44-yarder in the season opener. He's averaged 56.9 yards per kickoff with six touchbacks among 11 kicks -- several of which have gone deep into or through the end zone.
Special teams coordinator John Baxter has gotten excellent results with kicking units at Southern Cal and Fresno State, and hasn't wasted any time getting positive results at Michigan.
-- Kenny Allen
"We've been working tirelessly since spring ball started," said Allen. "And all (of pre-season) camp, day-in and day-out, with Coach Baxter and Coach (Jay) Harbaugh (assistant special teams coach) and some of the assistant coaches, we've been putting in a lot of effort to improve."
Allen also credited long snapper Scott Sypniewski, holder Blake O'Neill and the protection provided by his blockers.
Baxter elevated Allen to a higher performance level in both placekicking and punting.
"He's helped me focus on the things that I need to focus on," said Allen. "For punting, it was working on accuracy. I did that day after day and my accuracy improved a lot. On kickoffs, he had me do certain things to improve and work every day with him. And then we started seeing results.
"He pushed me to work harder and be more consistent ... I think I've gotten to be a lot more consistent."
Where does Allen feel he's made the biggest strides?
"I don't think it's in field goals or placekicking," he said. "It's in punting."
Allen is the backup punter to graduate transfer O'Neill, who is averaging 42.8 yards per punt and has shown a keen ability to place punts near the goal line for downing by teammates. Allen, however, punted so well that he gave O'Neill a run for the job.
Where placekicking was involved, Allen beat out Kyle Seychel and Andrew David, a freshman on scholarship. That resulted in a special surprise.
Harbaugh called Allen into his office on Sept. 7 and had some great news: "You're on scholarship."
Allen said the first phone call went to his mother, who then handed the phone to his father.
"They were speechless," said Allen. "They were happy. I was most excited to tell them."
Allen had that Oregon State offer and said he was talking to Big Ten and Mid-American Conference programs about scholarships.
"But for me it was pretty easy," Allen said. "I knew I always wanted to come here. It was my dream school; I really wanted to play for Michigan. It wasn't that hard of a decision.
"It's kind of ironic that I turned down a full ride from Oregon State and the week that we play them I'm put on scholarship. It's kind of nice to think that other people think I'm worthy of a scholarship."
Allen admitted to having a touch of stage fright in his debut game.
"The first time was a little nerve-wracking," said Allen. "But after getting that (Utah) game out of the way ... it was much easier."
Allen hasn't made a field goal longer than 40 yards, but said he's kicked a 65-yarder in practice.
"My range that I am comfortable with is probably 55 to 57 (yards)," said Allen.
He began building leg power and kicking skills in soccer.
"I started with soccer first," said Allen, who also played basketball at Fenton High. "That was my love, and I thought that was what I was going to play my whole life."
However, when his brother began kicking in football, Allen took it up in order to compete with him.
"But soccer really helps," said Allen. "It's a different set of skills. It helped with foot control and foot-eye coordination. That was a big thing to help me be successful."
Allen didn't see action in 2012, and has a possible fourth year of eligibility available in 2016. But we're getting ahead of the story. Allen still has plenty to prove this season. Though, there's no denying he's already one of the feel-good stories of this season -- a kicker bearing the fruits of hard work and a scholarship to his "dream school."
