1-on-1 with UH Football's Jordan Allen

All right, welcome to another special edition of bringing in another cool guest and we got I got that that cougar red on so you know what we're doing right now you see the logos Jordan Allen hard-hitting safety junior safety from the U of H Cougars. How are you today man thanks for joining us. Great thank you for having me it's a blessing. Of course man of course man since I've started working in this market man that number six jersey man it's tatted on me for a reason. Okay. You know that's a jersey number that I wore since when I was playing in high school and so on so watching you out there on that field man you putting that jersey to work man so for you now turning the page from last season you know 10 wins bowl game victory against your old school LSU we're gonna get into that but as you turn the page from last season to this season you know what do you reflect on? You know last year was last year I feel like it was a great year I feel like we left some meat on the bone we could have did a whole a whole lot of more great things we looking to pick up on that coming into this year ended off the season right just trying to push forward into the new season. Now you play pretty well and as a team you guys really stood up to adversity that's for sure but playing your former school what was that like going up against familiar faces? You know it was great being around all those guys you know I'm from Louisiana so just being around all my old friends knowing that I was just with them a couple months before that was just great you know it was a little trash talk going on here and there but it was great to see those guys. Now that's a foundation that you'll forever be a part of your resume you're playing career in college you know what do you take from being able to go through those practices in Louisiana where you're from and just play for a familiar team and build your resume up to get to where you are today? Um like you said being a Louisiana kid uh being around all those guys growing up all those LSU greats to walk through and just see all those familiar faces all the time you know it's just great you know as a kid from Louisiana it just makes you believe that hey that can be me one day and look I aspire to be there one day so you know it's great. Now you're related to one of the greatest wide receivers to come out of LSU Malik Neighbors you know talk about just that upbringing because what I've learned with a lot of athletes is that especially when they are related to an athlete that is not only successful in the league but just showing that hey this is possible what does that mean to you and how does that help your psyche knowing that this is reality this can happen? Malik man that's my big brother you know grew up as brothers um been a great role model for me my whole life just doing things the right way teaching me how to be a young grown man at the same time um and just falling over to the field you know that competitive edge that's where I get it from so everybody who wondering where I get it from Malik Neighbors um every time we was kids you know we'd go head to head he was playing offense I was playing defense obviously you know he'd give me some times and I feel like you know that just made me just want to be greater and that and just seeing him seeing his development through our life seeing him achieve all of his goals was just you know great for me as a little bro as a little cousin because you know I aspire to to be riding those shoes with him and he expects me to be there he tells me all the time you know I expect to see your name on that draft board so I'm blessed. Okay okay blessed nonetheless that's for sure man now your journey to the to safety right was a pretty cool story you told me man enlighten the people on just your journey to safety from your youth. Okay uh so when I was younger I actually was playing running back and another little cool story behind it is Malik at the time when I was younger playing running back I was about six seven years old Malik wasn't playing football yet he never touched the football yet never laced up the cleats yet so I was the guy that almost inspired him to want to play football uh he'd come over to my house see all the trophies on the dresser and he like hold on little bro doing as I could do it too so at the end of the day you know moving on as I got older to middle school I kept playing running back I got to high school my coaches like and it kind of threw me for a loop because it was new to me um you know I didn't really know what to expect I didn't know how things would go but I trusted in everything that my coaches was telling me and I ended up hooking up with the best uh cornerback coach that I can ask for and Derrick Stingley senior um and just spending that time with him you know developing me and things of that nature was great for my development I ended up getting offers and became an all-American cornerback in high school um and then I ended up getting to my senior year and my coach started throwing me at safety a little bit so I'm like was this going what's going on with this like I didn't really know how to feel about it I didn't know what safety was about honestly um but I knew you had to be a great communicator a leader and you had to have all the guys on the same page and I feel like I hold those traits as a player so it's a hats off to all my coaches that thought that I can handle it so I appreciate that um but yeah man just going into college I ended up going to LSU coming out of high school uh and I thought I was going to be playing cornerback but things changed or whatever like that so once I once I got there they were like you're a safety you're a safety slash nickel so once I got there I obviously I didn't really know what to think about it um getting to college you know it's the big leagues now it's not you're in high school no more you really got to know what you're doing so just taking that time man extra film extra training sessions um just put me into the situation where I'm at now and I feel like me moving to safety was the best thing that I could have done for my career um it not only showed that I can be a swiss army knife um I'm not a one trick pony that I can show all of my talents I played corner I can play nickel I can play safety so anywhere you need me I'm willing to play it at a high level so I think it was great for my development as a player okay well hey some NFL Scott was going to hear that because versatility is key in the NFL um for you man what is it about safety that you've learned to truly love it's the rush that you get before the game it's obviously the rush and just knowing that all of these guys like you got to take charge out there all the guys got to know like my safety got me in the back they got to have ultimate trust in you as a person as a player and just know that you know Jordan got my back and I want all my teammates to know that and feel that way about me because I feel the same way about y'all and I can't wait to know play this year and rock out with these guys man okay now speaking about the team you know dynamic secondary you know you got will you got um control you know and you know now it's it's y'all time to really take it to the next level so for you man what is it like to learn from those guys and honestly build a bond off the field man controls my best friend that I probably ever had you know my brother from another mother and it's kind of weird because when I first came to Houston we'd never met before but I just knew it was something about him something about our connection our relationship that I knew it would just take us beyond this football thing whatever like that so just being around those guys great guys like will jay lemao just being around those guys that we brought in um we hold each other to a very high standard and it's no negotiating with the standard every day is the standard everybody gotta show up do their 111th everybody gotta pour into the bucket everybody gotta pull in the right direction and I feel like if we all just keep doing that the sky's the limit for this group and overall as a team what makes this year's team so special that fans should look forward to this season I mean we got all our coaches back brought all our coaches back from last year brought the key components back to the team I just feel like those were must-haves for our team at that point um bringing in more guys that that's about all about the clues that bought into the into everything that coach fritz is you know preaching on the everyday basis you know and just try to be elite at the end of the day coach talks about it all the time that the culture has to be a microwave and not an oven you know a microwave it'll be done quickly in the oven it take too long so long as we come in every day hold each other to a higher standard and pull everybody along the right direction on and off the field the sky's the limit for this team okay okay now I got a I got an interesting question for you I love asking dbs this question would you prefer interceptions touchdown pick six right or force fumble recovery touchdown interception pick six for sure okay for sure okay okay what what is it about when you get your hands on the ball and you you realize I got this and I could potentially take it to the house what goes through your mind in those particular situations it's almost like an unreal moment if it makes it it's almost like an unreal moment it's like okay you might have watched the film for hours and you told yourself stay up 10 more minutes and keep watching film and that one play that you watch before you go to sleep was the play that you made to play on so you know just putting in the time once the ball comes your way and you finally get rewarded for it is almost like man this is why this is why I stay up them long nights this is why I put in the extra work so I definitely be taking that pick six to the end zone okay okay and last question for me for me man you know the people that has helped you get to where you are your father your mother you know coaches for you man what does it mean to you to continuously show them like thank you for believing in me and I'm showing you that it was worth it oh you know man just like you said my family been there since day one picked me up when I was at my lowest in every situation uh Jesus Christ my father Lord and Savior you know getting me out of my lowest hole building me up back in front of all the people that try to bring me down um I just can't thank them enough for that um all the coaches that believe in me I appreciate that and I and I love y'all for that and I appreciate coach Frist for you know bringing me here giving me a second shot uh rebirth in my career I feel like um I'm just blessed man I'm happy for everybody who's been a part of my journey and I can't wait to keep going it's only the start hey man we're gonna leave it right there well said my brother I appreciate you so much for your time you heard it right here I'm Lenard Davis Jr. with Jordan Island we'll see you for sure