You don’t have four interceptions returned for touchdowns by being just lucky. The Falcons’ fifth-round pick, Ricardo Allen, holds the Purdue record with that exact stat and some luck may have been involved, but it’s also the result of the right mentality.
“Once the ball is in the air, I always think it’s my ball,” he said. “If I have a chance to go get it, I’m going to get it. Whenever I get a chance, I’m going to run as hard as I can for the end zone.”
Allen ended his Purdue career with 13 interceptions and 22 pass deflections, two stats that show he was consistently around the ball. His smaller stature dictates that he has to step his game up and the 5-foot-9 corner says aggressive play is all he’s ever known.
“My aggressive style of play is what I’ve always been taught,” he said. “I’m not the tallest person around and I’m not the biggest person around but I’m going to give my all. I’m going to throw my body around and I’m going to try to make a play when the ball is in the air because when the ball is around, it’s my ball, it’s our ball. I’ve always played that way, I’ve always been that way and I’m going to keep playing that way in the NFL.”