Michael Allen: "You Never Really Know What's Going to Happen"
NC State running back Michael Allen met with the media as the Wolfpack progresses through fall camp in the lead-up to the 2023 season.
NOTE: Click on the video to watch Allen’s interview in the player above.
“I felt the same thing last year. In terms of the feel of the room, the only thing we lost was the humor from Demie [Sumo-Karngbaye]. Of course, everything on the field, he spoke for it for himself. The things you all didn’t see were the kind of character he was and the man he was in the room. He was a great guy to have in the room to uplift your spirits. Other than that, we’re all chugging along. We’re all working. He’s working over there. We’re all ready.”
“To be completely honest, I was going to do everything in my power for them not to redshirt me. Whether it was on special teams or if I needed to go out there and call plays, I was going to do something. That was never a question for me.”
“I was excited to know that I could contribute in a positive way for this team. Knowing that, getting those jitters out, and knowing I could go out there to do something, at the end of the day, it’s just football. I went out there, ran the ball, and played as hard as I could, and hopefully I can do more of that this year.”
“I love it. There’s just a bunch of moving parts. You never really know what’s going to happen. You’re going to see it when we get out there, but it’s truly different, and I love it.”
“Hopefully, being in there with [Jordan Houston]. That dude right there is a freak. He’s 190 pounds of concrete. If I can get like that, that’s definitely the goal.”
“Being in there to get out on routes. Also, I need to be a protector first, but being able to be that fifth or sixth man on a route so I can draw some linebackers in and do different things. We didn’t do a lot of that last year, but we’ll have a lot more of that this year.”
“I’ve been 100 percent healthy since I stepped foot on campus. I’ve been fine. I actually forgot I even [injured my knee in high school].”
“I miss the physical part of [baseball], but not the mental part of it, just having to stay in that routine constantly. Other than that, not really. I played baseball for as long as I could remember, so having this little change… But there is something when I turn on a game and see Ronald Acuña or somebody like that, I do kind of miss it.”
“I feel like people don’t give me my credit. I think I’m up there with those guys [in terms of speed]. I’m not going to brag on the numbers, but you all can see it. There’s three guys: Julian Gray, Anthony Smith, and Cecil [Powell].”
“It’s just the versatility of it and being able to deliver different looks to the defense. We’re not setting up in one formation and running it every single time. Like I said, we’ve got a lot of moving parts that you’ve really got to keep up with, and I think that’s the biggest part of it. Also, the energy [Garett] Tujague brings, not even from a coaching standpoint but as a person, it’s just a totally different room.”
“Kendrick [Raphael] is a great dude. He fits right in. I feel like anybody that comes into our room is easy to fit in. He’s made the quick adjustment, and we’ve welcomed him with open arms."