Overview
Allison arrived from Georgia Military College and had an immediate impact on the Pirates program in 2005. He was responsible for 43.6 percent of the team's first downs passing (110), amassed 36.4 percent (1,024 of 2,816) of the Pirates' receiving yards, accounted for 50 percent (7 of 14) of their touchdown catches and produced 37.8 percent of the team's big plays (14 of 37 catches for over 20 yards) en route to inking his name in the school record books.
In 2006, the explosive big-play receiver was sorely missed in the two games he was forced to sit out with an ankle injury. But he was still able to help lead the program to its first bowl game since 2001.
Allison was an Associated Press All-State selection during his senior season at A.L. Brown High School, where he was the program's top receiver and return specialist. The two-time All-Conference choice earned Conference Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Year honors in 2001.
Allison caught 50 passes for 1,101 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior, despite missing two games due to an injury. That season was highlighted by his 11 catches for 202 yards and one touchdown against the South Point High Red Raiders, while also contributing additional scores on a punt and kickoff return. He also participated in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas.
Upon graduating from high school, Allison enrolled at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College in 2002, but did not compete in football. He transferred to Georgia Military College in 2003, going on to catch 33 passes for 410 yards (12.4 avg) and six touchdowns. He earned National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) All-American second-team and All-Region XVII first-team honors at Georgia Military in 2004, when he snared 37 passes for 455 yards (12.3 avg) and five scores.
Taking over a program that finished 2-9 in 2004, new head coach Skip Holtz needed all of his recruiting skills to lure Allison to East Carolina in 2005. Allison went on to shatter the school's single-season record for yards receiving (1,024), becoming the first player in ECU annals to gain more than 1,000 yards in a season.
Allison became only the second player in school history to catch more than 55 passes in a season, catching 83, with seven of those resulting in touchdowns. He also completed 1-of-2 pass attempts for 41 yards, gained 65 yards on seven carries (9.3 avg) and totaled 33 yards on six punt returns.
Allison started all 11 games he played in at split end for the Pirates in 2006. He led the team with 62 receptions for 708 yards (11.4 avg) and four touchdowns. He gained 16 yards on four punt returns (4.0 avg) and lost 10 yards on four reverses. Allison hit on 1-of-2 pass attempts for a 34-yard touchdown and recorded two solo tackles.
In 22 games at East Carolina, Allison started every contest. As a Pirate, he caught 145 passes for 1,732 yards (11.9 avg) and 11 touchdowns. He returned 10 punts for 49 yards (4.9 avg) and rushed 12 times for 55 yards (4.6 avg). He registered a pair of solo tackles and connected on 2-of-4 throws for 75 yards and a touchdown.
Analysis
Positives: Has a good bubble, split high, with long legs, high calves and that explosive playing burst to easily gain separate after the catch...Shows above average lateral agility and balance when changing direction, doing an excellent job of extending for the ball and keeping his feet inbounds when working along the sidelines...Has loose hips and good feet to get in and out of his cuts. His quick first step lets him explode off the line...Also has the hip wiggle and head fakes to elude defenders after the catch...Even when his speed fails to elude the defensive back, he has the hip wiggle and shake needed to prevent from being rerouted...Might not look physical enough to fight off the jam, but knows how to use his arm-over action to separate when the defender attempts to press...Has the quickness to separate along the perimeter and the "make you miss" burst to get down field...His vertical speed is evident by his ability to consistently stretch the field and make good body adjustments to the ball...Can uncover and free up from his man working in the short area...Demonstrates the ability to sink his hips and go low to grab the ball on shallow crossing routes...Has the burst to get under the ball and make the over-the-shoulder grab look routine...Is quick to gobble up the cushion, especially when working in the zone...Very quick off the line and has the suddenness to get to top speed instantly...You notice on film his ability to drop his weight, sink his hips and maintain body control in and out of his cuts when separating...By staying at a low pad level, he is very effective at rapidly accelerating to get under the ball...Shows the ability to keep his eyes on the ball, even when knowing the defender is about to deliver a viscous hit...Has a good feel for the sticks and chains and makes good body adjustments on the move to uncover...Excels at keeping his feet in-bounds working along the sidelines and slipping through tight coverage...Has a good working relationship with his quarterback and that timing and ability to stay in sync lets him come back when the pocket collapses...Looks like a gazelle in the open field, showing a smooth stride that quickly gobbles up the cushion...Knows he doesn't have the brute power to break tackles, so he uses his change of direction and planting agility to elude the lethargic defender...He twists, turns and spins to slide away from contact and can use the defender's body well to push off and gain separation...Effective open-field cutter because of his ability to attack the defender low and use his hands to mirror and sustain...A lethargic defender is soon surprised by Allison's quickness and explosion using his hands to lock on and steer in the second level.
Negatives: Needs to improve his upper body muscle definition...Like most junior college players, he still has not developed good weight room habits, but is improving...Is not a "first one to enter, last one to leave" type in the training room, but if he receives patient coaching, he will develop those traits...Did not have the brute strength to out-muscle the more physical defenders when he arrived on the ECU campus in the spring of 2005, but he compensated with his long arms, good ball concentration and leaping ability to get to the balls thrown into a crowd (has now added 15 pounds of muscle to his frame and was not beaten by press coverage in any games during 2006)...Gets into a pattern where he throttles down when not involved in the play...Needs to do a better job of timing his leaps, as he had 10 passes deflected in 2006, including five in the final two games...Needs to be monitored, as he has a history for being late to practices and meetings...Won't play with pain and does not take well to hard coaching (poor work habits put him in the doghouse last season)...Relies more on his speed than pattern development and needs to become a better route runner (fails to set up the defenders and must be more aggressive going for the ball)...Adequate second-level blocker, but will back away from the action when asked to block in-line...Must improve his upper body strength or the more physical NFL corners will have good success rerouting or jamming him...Tries to run before securing the ball, leading to a very high amount of dropped or missed balls ? 44 total in 2006 (had 12 batted out of his hands and missed catching nine throws vs. UAB, five more in each of the West Virginia, Southern Mississippi and North Carolina State games and eight vs. South Florida).
Compares To: SANTONIO HOLMES-Pittsburgh-Like Holmes, Allison is very capable of surprising a defender with his explosive burst. He is simply a playmaker who is a threat anytime or anyway he touches the ball. Like Holmes, he's a big distraction for a defense, as he is perfectly capable of taking a handoff and either running with the ball or pulling up to unleash a perfectly-timed pass.
Career Notes
Allison's 145 receptions in just two seasons at East Carolina rank second on the school's career record list behind Jason Nichols (152, 1994-97)...His 1,732 yards receiving as a Pirate rank third in school annals, topped only by Troy Smith (1,982 yards, 1995-98) and Mitchell Galloway (1,754 yards, 1993-96)...Allison's 1,024 yards receiving in 2005 shattered the old East Carolina single-season record of 897 by Terrance Copper in 2003...His 83 receptions in 2005 rank second in school annals behind Copper's 87 grabs in 2003...His 62 grabs in 2006 are topped only by his 2005 total of 83 and Copper's 87 catches in 2003 on the school's single-season record list...His seven touchdown catches in 2005 rank sixth on the school's annual record list behind Bobby Hodges (10 in 1953), Clayton Davis (10 in 1991), Walter Wilson (9 in 1989), Larry Shannon (9 in 1996) and Hunter Gallimore (8 in 1991)...He became the first player in school history to begin his career with three consecutive 100-yard receiving games...His five 100-yard receiving performances in 2005 set a school single-season record (only six players in ECU annals have gained more than 100 yards receiving four times in a career)...In the 2005 Rice game, Allison (109) and tailback Chris Johnson (129) each had more than 100 yards receiving. The last time the Pirates had a pair of 100-yard receivers in one game was on Oct. 23, 1999 (Lamont Chappell-100 and Marcellus Harris-109)...Allison's 13 receptions vs. Southern Methodist in 2006 is one shy of the school single-gamerecord of 14 by Dick Corrada vs. Southern Illinois in 1970...In 22 games at East Carolina, Allison gained more than 100 yards receiving seven times...For his entire collegiate career, Allison amassed 2,597 yards and 22 touchdowns on 215 catches (12.1 avg) in 40 games...139 of his receptions produced first downs, including 83 during his two seasons at East Carolina.
2006 Season
All-American honorable mention and All-Conference USA first-team pick by The NFL Draft Report, adding second-team All-Conference USA honors from the league's coaches...Was named to the Biletnikoff Award (nation's top receiver) Watch List...Started eleven games at split end, sitting out the Virginia and Tulsa contests after he suffered an ankle sprain in the West Virginia clash...Despite sitting out those two contests and not catching any passes vs. Alabama-Birmingham, Allison ranked 20th in the nation with an average of 5.64 receptions per game...He led the team with 62 catches for 708 yards (11.4 avg) and four touchdowns...His 62 grabs are topped only by his 2005 total of 83 and Terrance Copper's 87 catches in 2003 on the school's season-record list...Of the 106 passes thrown to Andrae, twelve were deflected by the opposition...35 of his receptions produced first downs, including converting 11-of-22 third-down plays and one more on fourth-down... Had twelve receptions for 20 yards or longer...Credited with big catches that set up nine touchdown drives and three more that ended with field goals...Completed 1-of-2 passes for a 34-yard score, but lost ten yards on five reverses...Returned four punts for 16 yards (4.0 avg) and registered a pair of solo tackles.
2005 Season
All-American honorable mention and named Conference USA Newcomer of the Year by The NFL Draft Report...Unanimous All-Conference USA first-team choice...Earned TEC Male Athlete of the Year honors...After a stellar preseason performance, Allison took over split end duties for the Pirates, starting every game...Ranked fourth in the nation with an average of 7.55 catches per game, topped only by Jeff Webb of San Diego State (7.67 rpg), Mike Hass of Oregon State (8.18 rpg) and Greg Jennings of Western Michigan (8.91 rpg)...Finished 19th nationally and second in the conference with an average of 93.09 yards per game receiving, ranking behind Garrett Mills of Tulsa (95.0 ypg) in Conference USA action...Ranked third in the conference and 25th in the nation with a school single-season record 1,024 yards receiving, shattering the previous ECU mark of 897 by Terrance Copper in 2003...His 83 receptions rank second in school annals behind Copper's 87 grabs in 2003...Those catches and yardage totals are also the most ever by a junior in ECU history, breaking the previous marks of 54 grabs for 795 yards by Troy Smith in 1997...Seven of his 83 catches were good for touchdowns, but he also had big-play receptions that set up twelve other touchdown drives and four drives that resulted in field goals...Became the first player in school and Conference USA history to begin his Pirates' career with three consecutive 100-yard receiving performances...His five 100-yard games set a school single-season record...Of the 135 passes targeted to Allison, 16 were deflected by the opposition while 35 others were either over- or under-thrown (had only one dropped ball)...Recovered one of his two fumbles...Of his 83 receptions, 48 resulted in first downs (team had only 110 first-down catches), including 16 that helped convert third-down plays and two others on fourth-down plays...Fourteen of his catches were good for 20 yards or longer...Helped convert 59.3% (16-of-27) third-down plays that he was involved in...Added 65 yards on seven carries (9.3 avg), with two of those runs resulting in first downs, including one for 23 yards...Also completed 1-of-2 pass attempts for 41 yards...Averaged 102.0 all-purpose yards per game, the fourth-best total among Conference USA receivers in 2005...His 83 catches in 2005 not only led the team, but were 48 more than the Pirates' second-leading pass catcher (Chris Johnson, 35 grabs) and 55 more than the squad's second-leading wide receiver (Phillip Henry, 28 catches)...Responsible for 43.6% of the team's first downs (110) passing, amassed 36.4% (1,024 of 2,816) of the Pirates' aerial yards, accounted for 50% (7 of 14) of East Carolina's touchdown catches and produced 37.8% of the team's big plays (14 of 37 catches for over 20 yards) en route to inking his name in the school record books...Led the team's receivers and running backs with 48 knockdown blocks, including eight blocks that resulted in touchdowns...48 of his receptions came in road games.
Injury Report
2005: Missed most of the second half of the season finale vs. Alabama-Birmingham (11/26) after he suffered a right knee medial collateral ligament sprain at the start of the third quarter.
2006: Sat out the Virginia and Tulsa games after he suffered a sprained ankle (posterior tendon) late in the West Virginia game (9/23).
Agility Tests
Campus: 4.4 in the 40-yard dash...295-pound bench press...38.5-inch vertical jump...31 1/2-inch arm length...9-inch hands...Right-handed...11/22 Wonderlic score.
Combine: 4.39 in the 40-yard dash...1.51 10-yard dash...2.53 20-yard dash...37--inch vertical jump... 10'7" broad jump.
Junior College
Allison enrolled at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College in 2002, but did not compete in football. Transferred to Georgia Military College in 2003, where he played two seasons for head coach Bert Williams...Finished his career with 70 receptions for 865 yards (12.4 avg) and 11 touchdowns...Fifty-six of those catches resulted in first downs...Wore jersey No. 14 at Georgia Military.
2004 Season: Earned National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) All-American second-team and All-Region XVII first-team honors at Georgia Military, when he snared 37 passes for 455 yards (12.3 avg) and five scores...Also named the team's MVP...Had six receptions for 86 yards and two touchdowns vs. Ranger College...Added 67 yards on six catches in the Nassau Community College clash...Had 82 yards and a score on six receptions vs. Erie Community College.
2003 Season: Caught 33 passes for 410 yards (12.4 avg) and six touchdowns as a freshman in 2003...Scored his first career touchdown on a 23-yard catch vs. the Brigham Young junior varsity...Set a school single-game record with four touchdown receptions vs. Erie Community College.
High School
Attended A.L. Brown (Kannapolis, N.C.) High School, playing football for head coach Ron Massey...Was an Associated Press All-State selection during his senior season, where he was the program's top receiver and return specialist...The two-time All-Conference choice earned Conference Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Year honors in 2001...Made 50 catches for 1,101 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior, despite missing two games due to an injury...That season was highlighted by his 11 catches for 202 yards and one touchdown against the South Point High Red Raiders, while also contributing additional scores on a punt and kickoff return...Participated in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas.
Personal
Communications major...Born 4/20/86...Resides in Kannapolis, North Carolina.
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