Brian Allen reflects on lost 2020 season: 'I wasn't really ever healthy'

[theramswire.usatoday.com]
Brian Allen reflects on lost 2020 season: 'I wasn't really ever healthy'

Cameron DaSilva
October 11, 2021 1:15 pm PT

Brian Allen became almost a forgotten player for the Rams last year. He was on the 53-man roster all season, but he didn’t take a single snap and wasn’t even active on most game days. Considering he suffered a serious knee injury in 2019, everyone saw his lack of involvement as the result of a lengthy rehab process.

And as it turns out, Allen was never really healthy enough to play despite being on the active roster. He reflected on his lost season in 2020 during a conversation with Stu Jackson of the Rams’ official site, saying that he wasn’t in a position to suit up and play.


“Last year I wasn’t really ever healthy,” Allen said. “I was out there, I was on the roster. I wasn’t really in a position to play, I’d say. I think there were a lot of weeks where Monday they told me, ‘Hey, keep practicing,’ and that was a lot of weeks, and then had some setbacks here and there. So just going from being the guy to someone who’s kind of just a practice player, I know it’s tough at first, but at the end of the day, I think I use that to my advantage as well. Just going out there, keep getting better and kind of understanding that the season’s to rehab my leg and work on a couple different things that weren’t the best in the past just keep improving.”

It was a difficult year for Allen, who was not only recovering from his knee injury, but also had a bout with COVID-19. He was the first NFL player to publicly announce that he tested positive for the virus last year.

That didn’t help his road back to the field, but now that he’s fully healthy and recovered from both ailments, Allen is playing at a high level. He’s replaced the guy who took his spot in 2020, Austin Blythe, and has been one of the Rams’ biggest surprises of the season – in a good way.

He’s only allowed four total pressures in five games, according to Pro Football Focus, and has a run-blocking grade of 76.4, the highest on the team. As one would expect, Allen is enjoying this revival of his career, but he never lost sight of the goal of being a starter again.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Allen said. “We’ve been playing good. Things are going well, and proud to be back out there. This is kind of always been a part of my plan, so really, I don’t know – I’ve always kind of expected it.”