A.J. Allen earns A-Plus for special teams tackles title
10/30/2024 08:24 AM
A.J. Allen is a huge fan of the alphabet.
The third-year Saskatchewan Roughriders linebacker finished the 2024 regular season as the CFL's co-leader in special teams tackles.
However, his name appears at the very top of the list, one line above the Toronto Argonauts' Jack Cassar — who also registered 22 special teams stops.
"Alphabetical order helps so much," Allen said with a laugh. "You have no idea!"
Allen became the first Roughrider to lead the league in special teams tackles since 2005, when Walter Spencer's 29 stops gave him a share of the No. 1 spot.
When Spencer enjoyed that banner season, Allen was only seven years old.
"I was in Grade 2," he marvelled. "I didn't even have the dream yet."
He didn't start becoming a nightmare for rival ball-carriers for another couple of years.
"I started playing football in Grade 4," recalled Allen, who hails from Burlington, Ont. "I didn't realize I was pretty decent at it until Grade 5.
"Probably around then is when I wrote down that I wanted to be a professional football player. That's when it started and I'm very grateful to have been able to accomplish it.
"Before every game, I go to (teammate) Jayden Dalke and kind of share a moment of humbleness."
Those sentiments are driven home at this time of the year, as the playoffs loom.
The Roughriders are preparing to play host to the B.C. Lions in Saturday's West Division semi-final. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. Tickets are available HERE.
"What an absolute pleasure and honour it is to play in front of people and to get paid to do it — to do it as my job," Allen said.
"It's a blessing to play in front of Rider Nation, my family, my friends and everybody else involved.
"You have to keep yourself grounded."
In that spirit, he is quick to commend Special Teams Co-ordinator Kent Maugeri and everyone who serves on the coverage units.
"It starts with Coach Kent and all my teammates," Allen said. "Shout-out to them as well. It's an accumulation of all of us working hard."
That includes defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr., who last week was named the Roughriders' Most Outstanding Player, Most Outstanding Defensive Player and Most Outstanding Special Teams Player.
At the time of the announcement, Allen and Milligan Jr. were tied for the Roughriders' lead in special teams tackles, with 20, and were two back of Cassar.
Allen proceeded to register two more stops in the Roughriders' regular-season finale. He moved into a tie for the lead when Cassar was held without a special teams tackle in the Argonauts' Friday road game against the Edmonton Elks.
Milligan Jr., meanwhile, was rested last weekend because Saturday's home date with the Calgary Stampeders did not have a bearing on the standings.
"Like I told Ro, 'That's what happens when you lead the league in interceptions,' " Allen joked.
He is only the third Roughrider to be a league leader in special teams since the category was formally introduced in 1991.
The following year, Saskatchewan linebacker Ray Bernard led the loop with 32 special teams tackles — an enduring team record.
Allen's 22 tackles gave him a career total of 56, which ties him for 10th in Roughriders history.
Coincidentally, he shares the No. 10 spot with Spencer, whose 19-year reign as Saskatchewan's most-recent league special-teams tackles titleholder came to an end on Saturday evening.
"It's a blessing to be at the top of anything in this league," Allen said. "It's not easy.
"Whether that's as a co-leader or by yourself on an island, it's an honour and it's a blessing.
"It gives you so much to work for because, obviously, we're not done. We still have goals to accomplish and things to achieve.
"But in terms of a personal goal, it feels incredible to say that I wanted to get it done and I did get it done."
