The Thrill Of It All

Allen does not like talking about his past, or his transformation. He made mistakes. He did bad things. He also did good things. He worked hard to become a great player. But football does not define him. "People think they know me," he says. "It's kind of funny. They don't know me."

It's a Sunday, postgame, and in the locker room he's wearing a cowboy hat and an Old West jacket—he calls it his Wyatt Earp look. "You going to rob a bank?" a teammate yells across the room.

"Are you kidding?" Allen says. "This look is badass."

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