Penn State’s Marcus Allen makes 2019 Steelers debut in Week 17, looks ahead to 2020

It took until the year’s final week and the season’s final game, but Marcus Allen made his 2019 Pittsburgh Steelers season debut.

The Penn State alumnus and 2018 fifth-round pick played special teams during Sunday’s season-ending loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

“I just feel blessed to get another opportunity to get back on the roster and show them what I can do,” Allen said last week, “and I’m pretty sure they know what I can do.

“I have been here all year and showing them my improvement and everything. I feel as though they wouldn’t have brought me up if they didn’t trust me.”

Allen was promoted to the active roster Dec. 20 when the Steelers cut Kameron Kelly in the wake of Kelly’s arrest after a South Side incident with police.

Allen’s debut is similar to last season’s in that his regular-season action was limited to December (appearing in two games). In 2018, though, Allen did play some defense.

After a season on sideline, Marcus Allen ready to shine in Steelers secondary

(Via TribLive) https://t.co/s8MDjWGCyM

— Kevin Gorman (@KGorman_Trib) May 31, 2019

In 2019, Allen was surpassed by Kelly during training camp to serve as the top backup at safety. He was signed to the practice squad, though, and spent all season there.

“Of course it was tough (not making the initial 53-man roster), but I had to get mentally right,” Allen said. “Like coach T (Mike Tomlin) said, he told me not to be patient – just work while I wait. I took that to heart and really did that — worked every single day.”

During camp practices, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Allen has shown to be versatile, able to cover and tackle. A four-year starter at Penn State, his strength is as an in-the-box safety.

Although Terrell Edmunds is entrenched as the starter at that position, Allen figures to enter the coming training camp a favorite to earn a backup safety spot that includes extensive special-teams usage.

“I know there’s a lot of business that goes into it within this business, but I put that aside from the trueness and the realness of the Steelers,” Allen said. “I appreciate the opportunity that they gave me. And I know if I keep on working, and I keep playing to the best of ability something is going to shake.”

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