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"He's special. He does everything he's told to do and even more. There's nothing else you can ask for from a student-athlete. He takes care of business on the field and off the field. He is the blueprint for kids in Daytona Beach right now." One yard better Same could be said for West Lafayette. Taylor Richards is Allen's roommate, and he's learned that when the sun slips below the horizon, it isn't a signal for sleep. At 10 p.m., Richards will see Allen leave their place to go for a jog. Or Allen will head out to the apartment complex's sand volleyball court, one of two new routines he added to his training in the offseason. Allen worked in the sand nightly with the intent of improving his strength and quickness, saying drills taught him to be lighter on his feet — the harder you pound on the sand, the deeper you sink. He also discovered — in his never-ending search for ways to become great — a video by former South Carolina safety D.J. Swearinger with a ladder workout. So Allen spent hours perfecting his footwork, purposely putting himself in uncomfortable positions so he could learn to get in and out without hitting the ladder. "If I can get one yard faster or one yard better than everybody next year — it doesn't even have to be a yard, it can be a foot — if I do something every night at the late hour all summer when everybody (else) is about to go to sleep, I'm going to be (better)," Allen said. "A hard worker is just somebody who challenges themselves even when they don't want to. If you know you did this last week — why not add two-and-a-half pounds, even if it's just two-and-a-half pounds? That's pushing you more than where you have been before. Just do it." Allen doesn't only continue to develop his physical tools, though. He studies film every night until he falls asleep. He keeps notes of every mistake he makes. But he'll also break down every receiver he'll face, and, especially lately, he has been logging hours on the video system watching cornerbacks who have "made it." "I watch the top picks and I watch the last couple picks and I compare them and see what's the difference," Allen said. "What's he doing every play? What's the other guy doing every play? The higher picks are the ones who work hard every play. There's never a play they really take off. The lower picks are still a very natural, talented person but they don't really have a mean streak in them all the time. "I have my moments (of the mean streak). But it's not consistent, and that's one of the things I need to work on." All the extra work, he hopes, will have him primed for a big-time senior year. He is certainly takling like that will happen. 'Fearless' causes fits Dolapo Macarthy could only laugh. He's heard plenty of chatter from Allen, but this was new. Early in offseason workouts, Allen tilted his head up to look at Macarthy, at least 6 inches taller, and proclaimed that he would not allow him to get a catch once training camp begins. Allen would be too physical, drawing pass interference, or he'd simply defend the play perfectly and Macarthy wouldn't catch it. Either way, Macarthy, the Boilermakers' most physically gifted receiver, was presented with only one option: He was going to be shut down. "He's dead serious. Me being me, I'm like, 'All right, Ricardo.' But I hope it's true," said the non-smacktalking Macarthy. "He is such a fierce competitor. Ricardo is fearless. That's how he's able to make the plays 52 • Gold and Black IllustrateD • volume 23, issue 6 GBIprint.com GoldandBlack.com