CJ Allen had plenty of reasons to play football at the University of Georgia: a rich linebacker tradition and a perennially stellar defense, to name two.
The biggest draw for Allen, however, was staying close to home.
Allen grew up in the tiny city of Barnesville (estimated population around 6,000) and nearby Griffin. He embraced having a community where familiar faces always surrounded him.
“As I got older,” he says, “everyone knew me.”
To Be a Bulldog Linebacker
Now, the small-town Georgian finds himself playing a big role with the Bulldogs.
“I wake up every day and am still amazed that I’m a linebacker at the University of Georgia,” he says.
As a veteran, Allen is thrust into the role of defensive leader. He feels ready.
“To be a great leader, I think you’ve got to know your guys. Every guy’s not the same,” he says. That means he’s learned how each teammate responds best to communication.
The phrase “leading by example” is used all the time. Still, Allen says, living up to that philosophy isn’t easy.
“It’s a lot of sacrifice,” he says. “You’ve got to be the example and put yourself last. It’s a lot, but that’s how you would want it.”
Ultimately, he says, “I think it’s an honor to lead.”
Allen’s Family and Community
Allen credits his rock-solid work ethic to his mom, Tamecha Tyus, a single mom who raised Allen and his five siblings.
“I think that’s where I get my strength: my mom,” Allen says. “She is a strong, independent woman. She works all day long and then comes home and cooks for us.”
As for the rest of his success? Allen says he owes so much to his hometown community.
“It definitely took a village for me to get here,” he says, and he’s wasting no time to start giving back.
For the past two springs, Allen has hosted a free football camp in Barnesville. Last May, 150 kids showed up at the Lamar County High School field for the football clinic and a meal from Chick-fil-A.
“ I want to be the guy that’s giving back. I want to be the one showing that I appreciate the community.”
Allen has also led Thanksgiving and Christmas drives. In December, he took 30 kids from a local Boys and Girls Club chapter to the Griffin Walmart and gave them each $50 gift cards to spend on whatever they pleased.
“Some of the kids didn’t even want to shop,” he recalls, laughing. “They just wanted to be around me and walk with me. It kind of opened my eyes.”
If the experience meant a lot to those kids, having the opportunity to make it happen means the world to Allen.
“I want to be the guy that’s giving back,” he says. “I want to be the one showing that I appreciate the community.”
