Sean Allen knew he needed a change after two seasons at Illinois State.
Allen wasn’t sure where his next destination would be. But when the Homewood-Flossmoor graduate entered the transfer portal after the 2022 season, he was contacted by several Division I and Division II programs.
The place that kept drawing his attention, however, was Division III powerhouse North Central College.
“They showed me a lot of love and were genuine,” Allen said. “It’s not a DIII program the way they run things around here. It’s run like a DI. They are about not only being a good football player but being a good man overall. That spoke a lot to me.”
Allen decided to head to Naperville last year, and he made an immediate impact. As a sophomore running back, he ran for 702 yards and 10 touchdowns, numbers that ranked him third on the team behind the nation’s leading rusher, Joe Sacco, and quarterback Luke Lehnen, but fifth overall in the CCIW.
Allen helped the Cardinals reach the Stagg Bowl, the Division III national championship game, where they lost 38-37 to Cortland.
NCC coach Brad Spencer had hoped to see that kind of production when he recruited Allen.
“He was looking for an opportunity that he found here, to enjoy playing,” Spencer said. “He quickly found that.
“He’s a tremendous talent. He has great speed. Last year, he was a shell of himself. It was almost getting his legs underneath him. What we’ve seen in the preseason is an elevated version of himself.”
Allen succeeded last season despite getting only two carries in two years at Illinois State and missing his first season altogether with an injury. Now that he has been in NCC’s program for a year and is back in game shape, Allen is looking forward to doing more.
The top-ranked Cardinals, who have won two of the past four national titles, will start the season at No. 13 Aurora University on Saturday.
“I feel a lot more comfortable now,” Allen said. “I’m seeing the game at a slower pace. The game comes to me now because I know how it goes. I know how this conference is, how this division is and the standard here at North Central. I’m ready for a great season.”
Sacco is ready, as well. He knows he has plenty of help in the backfield with Lehnen, Allen and Oswego graduate Charles Coleman.
“We pair together really well,” Sacco said. “The one thing that separates Sean from everyone else is his cutting and vision.
“Throughout a game, you score a 50-yard TD, and you’re tired and need a breather, it’s nice to know you have someone that can fill that role. We just feed off of each other so well. I like him as a friend and as a player. He’s fit right in.”
Allen said he anticipates being more involved this season, particularly in the passing game. The Cardinals are inexperienced at receiver, and Allen thinks he can help.
“They’ve got me sometimes in the slot, sometimes in motion,” he said. “It’s a lot of expansion for me to be involved in the game plan. That will make this offense even more dangerous.”
Spencer has had several key players enter the program from scholarship programs over the years. Allen is the latest to find his place there.
“They’re coming into an opportunity where they’re going to play more than they did before,” Spencer said. “They’re coming into a different culture. It’s just a different level with different missions and goals. If you’re looking to win, you’re going to love North Central.”
As far as Allen is concerned, things couldn’t have worked out any better for him.
“It was a gutsy decision, but I know I made the right one,” he said. “I’m in a good spot.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter.
