PISCATAWAY – Jacob Allen knew the injury was serious soon after it happened.
The offensive lineman was playing his final high school game at the Hun School in Princeton. Hun kicked a field goal with three seconds left in the third quarter. Allen has been committed to Rutgers football for about six months at this point as a member of the 2022 freshman class and was a left guard.
As the play unfolded, all of his weight was on his left knee.
“I remember having all my weight on my legs and thinking, 'If someone hits this, I'm screwed,'” Allen said. “And it happened.”
The Hun tight end stumbled. He collapsed onto Allen's lap. Allen heard a crack. he couldn't walk. All he could do was lie on his back and stare at the sky as medical staff and coaches treated him.
This began a long and difficult recovery process that continues today.
Allen was determined to get back on the field and help the Scarlet Knights rebuild under Greg Schiano, who begin spring practice this week. But injuries can change plans and goals, something Allen has experienced in recent months.
After undergoing five surgeries and finally doing everything possible to play, Allen was medically retired from Rutgers. The decision was made weeks after the team's Pinstripe Bowl victory and after discussions with his family, medical staff and coaches.
But while Allen can't contribute on the field, he has found another way to help the strength and conditioning program while honing another passion.
“My dream was definitely to come here and help Rutgers win a national championship and be a part of it on the field,” Allen told USA TODAY Network-New Jersey. “I believe God is testing me, but there is another way to do it: in the weight room.”
“It's a big mental burden.”
As Allen feared, the injury was serious.
He had dislocated his patella. The cartilage had fallen away from the bottom of his kneecap. He suffered a microfracture.
One surgery led to two surgeries because the knee did not recover properly from the first surgery. Allen underwent matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI) and tibial osteotomy. However, his knee had not yet healed properly.
Another surgery.
Then, the screw in my knee became bent.
Another surgery – ultimately 5 in total.
Doctors initially told Allen it would take four months to fully recover.
“This was my first surgery,” Allen said. “I had no idea how to rehabilitate properly. I think that was taken into account. I learned the hard way how to rehabilitate properly.”
It was a difficult process.
The 6-foot-6, 290-pound Allen arrived at Rutgers with much fanfare. He was a four-star recruit and rated the No. 2 prospect overall in New Jersey, according to the 247Sports Composite. He had a long list of offers from many schools, including Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Penn State, but chose to stay close to home and play at Rutgers.
However, it was not easy to be useless in the field. Allen didn't even get a chance to practice.
“It was definitely mentally taxing,” Allen said. “There are a lot of hurdles.”
Allen said everyone involved in the football program helped him get through it, from coaches and teammates to the video staff and even the culinary staff.
“Everyone here is great,” Allen said.
“It really fulfilled me.”
Along the way, Allen developed a passion for the weight room. Last May, he worked at DeMarco Training Systems in Hamilton, a gym he previously worked at during high school.
“I was there helping kids,” Allen said. “I saw the effort I put in with them and they just looked at me as a coach. It really fulfilled me.”
That's what fueled Allen's desire to help with Rutgers' strength program, allowing him to work closely with director of athletic performance Jay Butler, from whom Allen relishes the opportunity to learn.
Allen said his perspective changed because of the injury. It helped him connect with players who may be going through similar things.
In the weight room, Allen is finding his role.
“I can tell when someone is down by their facial expressions and body language, so my focus is on cheering them up,” Allen said. “And I'm not coming from a place of yelling or negativity, I'm coming from a place of love and just wanting to get the job done.”
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After college, Allen is considering becoming a teacher or coach, especially at the high school level. Still in her second year, Allen is majoring in communications and her minor in education. But at this point, “nothing is set in stone,” Allen said.
Since his time at Rutgers, Allen has learned ample insight and lessons from Schiano.
“He's great,” Allen said. “The messages he gives us in team meetings always resonate with me. He'll say things that really help you keep moving forward, even if it's one-on-one in his office. But his door is always open to any player and you can bounce anything off him and he gives you his perspective. He's helped me a lot.”
For more than two years, Allen has undergone a long and grueling journey. He is forced to turn his dreams of helping the Scarlet Knights on the field into dreams of helping them in the weight room.
It was an unexpected path, but Allen accepted.
“What I've learned through this process is that it's all up to you,” Allen said. “You can go into the weight room with low energy, be negative, and say, 'Why me?'” Or you can go in there and be excited about the work and see what other people are doing. You'll also feel like you're helping them reach the same goal. ”
