Zock Allen
Born: (1968-06-12) June 12, 1968 (age 55)
Madisonville, Texas
Career information
Position(s)LB
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight220 lb (100 kg)
CollegeTexas A&M–Kingsville
Career history
As player
1991–1994BC Lions
1994Las Vegas Posse
1995Saskatchewan Roughriders*
*Offseason and/or practice roster member only

Zock Alexander Allen (born June 12, 1968) is a former gridiron football linebacker who played for the BC Lions and the Las Vegas Posse of the Canadian Football League. From 1991 to 1994, he played in 27 regular season games, recording 119 tackles, four sacks, and two fumble recoveries. He played college football for the Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas.

College career

Allen played college football for the Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas, earning letters in 1989 and 1990.[1] He led the team in total tackles with 101 during his senior season in 1990.[2]

Professional career

Both Willie Pless and Alondra Johnson, two of the BC Lions' starting linebackers in 1990, did not return to the team in 1991.[3] The BC Lions signed Allen in May 1991 to compete for one of these spots.[4] Despite suffering a bruised knee during the preseason, Allen succeeded in making the active roster.[3][5] He struggled in July and August, with Lions head coach Bob O'Billovich saying "he's been a step or two away all the time on pass coverage".[6][7] In late August, the Lions moved Allen to the practice squad and replaced him with new signing Bruce Holmes, who had led the CFL in tackles the previous season with the Ottawa Rough Riders.[6][8][9] Allen finished his rookie season with 31 tackles, two sacks, and a fumble recovery over six games played.[10]

In 1992, Allen began the season on the practice squad while he recovered from a knee injury, but he replaced Doug Hocking as a starter in Week 3.[9][11] By late August, the Lions were facing the return of several key import players, including Stewart Hill and Lee Johnson. To meet CFL import ratio requirements, which require each team to field a certain number of Canadian players, the Lions replaced Allen again with Hocking.[12] Allen's season was hampered both by his early injury and import ratio troubles, limiting him to three games in which he recorded 13 tackles.[10] While on the practice squad, the Calgary Stampeders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and Toronto Argonauts tried to recruit him, but he declined to leave the Lions.[13]

Allen played as an inside linebacker throughout the preseason in 1993, but he was again cut to the practice squad before the start of the regular season.[14] He was quickly brought back to the active roster and recorded five tackles in the Lions' season-opening win against the Toronto Argonauts.[15] Allen saw regular playing time for the first time in his career, playing in fifteen regular season games for the Lions.[10] He played mostly as a middle linebacker, but he briefly replaced Tyrone Jones twice at the outside linebacker position while he was recovering illness and injury.[16][17] Allen finished the regular season with 67 tackles, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery.[10] He also recovered a fumble in the Western Semi-Final, but the Lions went on to lose 9–17 to the Stampeders.[18]

During the offseason, the Lions released two linebackers while a third retired and a fourth left during free agency. Allen was selected during training camp to call defensive plays as the sole remaining linebacker, with Lions head coach Dave Ritchie saying " Zock has to be a leader now".[19] He was instead hobbled by a knee injury, forcing him to miss practice, a preseason game, and the start of the regular season.[20] Allen ended up playing only two regular season games for the Lions in 1994. He was eventually released and later added by the Las Vegas Posse in November, for whom he played in one game.[10][21] He signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders for 1995 but was released before the start of the regular season.[22]

Personal life

Allen was named "Zock" after the sound a cartoon character makes when hitting something.[13] Outside of football, Allen earned a degree in teaching and spent some time performing investigative work for a law firm.[13][19]

References

  1. ^ "Letter Winners". JavelinaAthletics.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  2. ^ "2015 Texas A&M University-Kingsville Football Media Guide". Texas A&M University-Kingsville. issuu. 2015. p. 105. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Rauw, Murray (July 9, 1991). "CFL West: Ham key to Eskimos". Calgary Herald. p. D6.
  4. ^ "DEALS". USA Today. May 24, 1991. p. 15C.
  5. ^ Kingston, Gary (July 6, 1991). "Leo coach left with decisions, decisions". The Vancouver Sun. p. H3.
  6. ^ a b MacIntyre, Iain (August 24, 1991). "Holmes, the ordinary all-star, comes to the defence of Lions". The Vancouver Sun. p. E1.
  7. ^ Kingston, Gary (August 26, 1991). "Lions juggle defence for SkyDome shootout". The Vancouver Sun. p. D3.
  8. ^ Naylor, David (August 27, 1991). "Argonauts must unscramble Flutie Keeping pivot in pocket key". The Globe and Mail.
  9. ^ a b Kingston, Gary (July 22, 1992). "Allen gets chance after sitting as rookie". The Vancouver Sun. p. D8.
  10. ^ a b c d e Maher, Tod; Gill, Bob (2013). The Canadian Pro Football Encyclopedia: Every Player, Coach and Game, 1946–2012. Maher Sports Media. p. 144. ISBN 978-0-9835136-6-7.
  11. ^ Kingston, Gary (July 6, 1992). "O'Billovich trims roster to 37 players". The Vancouver Sun.
  12. ^ MacIntyre, Iain (August 13, 1992). "Hill back to terrorize Roughriders". The Vancouver Sun. p. D9.
  13. ^ a b c Kingston, Gary (September 8, 1993). "Zock's zapping foes and finding himself in CFL". The Vancouver Sun. p. D10.
  14. ^ Kingston, Gary (July 5, 1993). "Lions roster likely to look much different on Friday". The Vancouver Sun. p. D3.
  15. ^ Kingston, Gary (July 14, 1993). "ARGOS NOT FIRST IN TORONTO HEARTS". Calgary Herald. p. D7.
  16. ^ Kingston, Gary (July 29, 1993). "Ritchie roaring over lacklustre practice effort". The Vancouver Sun. p. D10.
  17. ^ Kingston, Gary (November 5, 1993). "McManus starts while Barrett sits in Sacramento". The Vancouver Sun. p. F2.
  18. ^ Rauw, Murray (November 15, 1993). "DEFENCE RESTS". Calgary Herald. p. C1.
  19. ^ a b Kingston, Gary (June 11, 1994). "It's Zock's turn to take charge of defence". The Vancouver Sun. p. H3.
  20. ^ Kingston, Gary (July 4, 1994). "B.C. Lions set '94 roster for this week anyway". The Vancouver Sun.
  21. ^ "PEOPLE TRANSACTIONS". The Gazette. November 5, 1994. p. H4.
  22. ^ "TRANSACTIONS". The New York Times. June 20, 1995. p. B16.
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