Mainland grad Ricardo Allen gets one more shot at Super Bowl glory with Cincinnati Bengals

Ricardo Allen's choice to join the Cincinnati Bengals came down to two people.

Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo recruited Allen as a Mainland High senior to enroll at Purdue, where he still holds the program's all-time record for pick-sixes. Their relationship remains as strong as ever, Allen says.

The other key figure, however, was a second-year player coming off a season-ending ACL tear that Allen had only seen on television.

"Shoot, I wanted to be with Joe Burrow," Allen said Thursday in a phone interview. "I knew that he was tough, and that he was smart. You could just tell that he knows what he's doing, how to manipulate defenses at a young age.

"He's just a young dude on a whole other level."

Ten months later, and in the immediate aftermath of the Bengals' first playoff win in 31 years, Allen believes he made the correct decision despite a significantly reduced on-field role.

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A starter in 76 of the 77 games he suited up to play for the Atlanta Falcons, Allen has not logged more than 30 defensive snaps (48%) in any contest this season. Instead, he has served as the backup free safety, behind 2020 second-team All-Pro Jessie Bates III on the depth chart.

For the year, Allen has registered 15 tackles, including 11 solo stops.

Allen admits when his playing days are done that he wants to step right into coaching at the NFL level. He embraces taking part in the mental chess matches from the sidelines, but insists he is physically "ready to go get it" whenever his number is called.

Somewhat surprisingly, Allen harbors aspirations of becoming an offensive coordinator.

"I know what keeps me up at night," Allen said. "I know all the routes, the ins and outs. I think I can manipulate the game. I study offenses, so I have the concepts in my head."

The 5-foot-9, 186-pound veteran's leadership and versatility appealed to the Bengals' hierarchy back in March. Atlanta elected to release Allen, who missed four games in 2020 due to a hyperextended elbow and a concussion, and save $6.25 million against the salary cap.

"You can tell just from talking to him for a couple of minutes he's going to have a command in the locker room," Steven Radicevic, Cincinnati's director of pro scouting, said earlier this year. "Guys are going to respect him. I think he'll be a good piece for us for sure."

The Bengals overhauled the secondary last spring, bringing Allen in alongside cast-off cornerbacks Chidobe Awuize, Mike Hilton and Eli Apple. Tre Flowers joined from Seattle via waivers in October, and veteran safety and special teams ace Michael Thomas was promoted from the practice squad in November.

Chemistry was a valid question from the outset, both in and out of the Bengals' locker room. Unselfishness, Allen says, banded the ragtag group together.

"We came in with the mindset that we don't set the depth chart or hand out contracts," Allen said. "We grind to be the best. Because another player makes a play, it doesn't take anything away from anyone else in this room. We all in here eating. High tide rises all boats."

Linebacker Germaine Pratt's interception at the Bengals' 2-yard line with 17 seconds left sealed the 26-19 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders — the franchise's first playoff win since 1991. Allen, sans helmet, rushed the field to celebrate with his teammates.

Tension in the stands was high — the perhaps justified feeling of "Here we go again," Allen described — but the roar released upon Pratt's pick was euphoric.

"It was everything that you would want at the ending of a game like that," Allen said. "For it to turn the other way, you could feel the pure enjoyment and energy in this city. It's cool to be a part of this team to break the curse and get over the hump."

As monumental as last Saturday's home win was, it's the first step of the journey. The Bengals are riding high — winners of four of their last five, save for a Week 18 defeat to rival Cleveland as Burrow rested a minor knee ailment — and dreaming big.

Allen wants one more crack at a Super Bowl ring. Five years ago, he and the Falcons had one hand firmly around the Lombardi Trophy but let a 28-3 lead slip to New England in an eventual overtime collapse.

Bengals game tomorrow

The Bengals travel to the top-seeded Tennessee Titans, fresh off a first-round bye, for a 4:30 p.m. Saturday kickoff.

"I'm pushing it for it this year and putting my all for it," Allen said. "To be able to get there, and to be almost at the finish line but not to come out on top, I would have loved to win that game. But it gives you a burning to get back."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Ricardo Allen on joining Bengals: 'I wanted to be with Joe Burrow'