Allen talks leadership, team bonding ahead of spring ball

It doesn’t feel like that long ago when Austin Allen was just trying to not get in the way while making sure everything he did was to a T. 
Now, his biggest goal is on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. 
Oz and the Huskers kick started spring practice last week and the former Aurora standout explained that he and his teammates are chomping at the bit to get back out there. 
This sports writer is giddy, too, although we’ll keep our focus on the keyboard. 
Allen explained during a phone interview last week that the team had some much-needed time off following Nebraska’s season-ending win over Rutgers in mid-December. 
It was a time to step back and in a way, hit the reset button after more than nine months of unknowns and at times, unimaginable circumstances. 
“It seems like last year we were run into the dirt a little bit but that was difficult to manage because of the unknowns,” Allen said. “It was nice to have some time off and hit it hard in the offseason conditioning. Everyone is ready to go and hit the spring hard and get things moving in the right direction.”
This isn’t Allen’s first rodeo through spring ball and he knows that. In fact, his goals reflect that, too. 
His biggest aspiration by the time we hit the 2021 season? A potential captaincy. 
It’s a lofty goal, for sure, but also something he feels is attainable. Being the hometown in-state player makes Oz all the more hungry to reach it. 
“I think that is something I can definitely strive for,” he said. “The opportunity is there, I just have to take it. That starts with the way I handle my business in the offseason, my teammates and the incoming freshmen. As of now, that’s my biggest goal.”
Those of us in A-Town have seen that leadership before in other avenues. 
Remember his senior year at Aurora, suffering a basketball injury in the summer and missing nearly all of his senior year of football?
Oz essentially turned into a player-coach, pushing his high school teammates from the sidelines and busting at the seams to be involved in any way possible. 
He finds himself now in a similar situation as one of Nebraska’s most experienced players. However, it’s a goal he didn’t always feel was attainable.  
“It was something that, if I’m being honest, my freshman year I didn’t think would be possible,” he said. “Now that I’m an experienced fifth-year player, it’s something that I can strive for. It’s important to me because I’m an in-state player. It means a lot to me. I can’t speak for those out-of-state guys because I know they love this team too, but it’s something for me to strive for.”
For as crazy, uncertain and quite frankly frustrating as the 2020 season was for Nebraska, it was also a introduction of sorts for Oz. 
He started seven games for the Big Red at tight end and essentially re-wrote all of his career highs with 18 receptions and 236 receiving yards. 
Allen finally caught his first career touchdown pass against Minnesota and had at least one reception in every game. 
Allen ranked second on the team in receptions and receiving yards, and his average of 13.1 yards per catch was the highest of any Husker with more than five receptions.
Okay, No. 11. 
Also, I’ve gone much too far already not to have mentioned his growing stature of 6’8” and 260 pounds. 
While he’s certainly bigger than he’s ever been in his life, he also feels like his speed has improved, something that was a focus for the entire team in the offseason. 
Because of COVID rules relating to recruiting, Allen also noted that the coaches were around the players more than ever before in the offseason, making workouts more competitive and frankly, more helpful. 
“It was nice in the sense that since the coaches couldn’t go out and recruit, they were able to be here and watch us workout,” Allen said. “That allowed us to compete that much harder. The coaches are there cheering you on and overseeing what we do. As a team, we worked on our form and technique. The biggest improvement I think you’ll see as a team is speed. We worked on that quite a bit.”
Since the football team essentially just hung out with each other in a bubble of sorts during the offseason, they did a lot of bonding activities from dodgeball games to bowling and everything in between. 
Then there’s Allen’s relationship with Adrian Martinez, who leads the quarterback room after the departure of Luke McCaffrey to Louisville through the transfer portal. 
Allen said they’ve hung out more this year than ever before. In fact, area boys and girls had the thrill of Allen and Martinez officiating their youth basketball games, including a tournament in Hampton in February. 
So, who was the first parent complaining to that particular officiating crew? 
For Allen, the opportunity to bring Martinez to places like Hampton and see those youngsters across the state is important for both of them.
“We’ve gotten closer together. I’ve brought him back home to ref youth basketball games and that gets him to see small-town Nebraska a bit more,” Allen explained. “We enjoy hanging out with each other. Football brought us together, but we’re growing more together as brothers than we probably both expected.
“Those youth tournaments are fun because not a lot of people get to experience or see Division I athletes in their small towns. When I can bring someone like Adrian to a small-town it really brightens the day for those kids because of the platform Adrian has. It’s beneficial for me to come back and see those that helped me along the way when I was a kid that age and give back. That’s helpful and my way of giving back. They deserve it, too.”
Of course, there was the whole transfer thing, as well. 
Allen’s roommate, Kade Warner, announced his entry to the transfer portal in late January. 
While Allen was disappointed to see his friend leave, he knows Warner had his reasons for doing so. 
Wan’Dale Robinson, too. He doesn’t blame those guys for leaving. 
“Everyone has their reasons. Kade didn’t feel like he got his due respect here,” Allen said. “He’s taken an opportunity to find that somewhere else and more power to him. He will do great things wherever he goes. 
“Wan’Dale is from Kentucky and he just wanted to be closer to family. Everyone has their reasons for leaving. I don’t hold anything against them because they were my brothers at one point. They are doing what’s best for them.”
Spoken like a true leader. 
RICHARD RHODEN can be reached at sports@hamilton.net.