Exclusive: Draft Journal - Roger Allen, OG

January 10, 2009

Right now I am in Pensacola, Florida training at API. I signed with Scott Smith of XAM Sports. They have us staying at a resort right off the beach in a beautiful area. It is a great place to come back to after a hard day of training. The API facility is right across the bridge of the resort.

We are working on speed development and acceleration along with power and proper squat technique. Even though we aren’t doing what I am used to at school it is a lot of form and technique training but you still feel just as sore. You are putting in work in a more efficient manner. It brings a new aspect to training that I enjoy. The personal trainer we lift with use to be the strength coach of the Giants and he often tells us about past players he helped. He teaches us ways to translate our squat out to exploding out in a block. It helps me in that I haven’t had a ton of technique work. I think it will make me an overall better player.

It is about two weeks away from the Texas vs. Nation game and we are still preparing to get faster and stronger but next week the position coaches show up and we will incorporate position drills in our workout. I look forward to it coming from a small school. I think my technique has always been a little suspect. I know it will only get better with a little coaching. I feel there is a huge upside to all of this training.

I got a combine invite. I found out about a week ago and that was great. I had always felt like I was going to get a combine invite based on what I heard from scouts and my coaches and it was a big sigh of relief to get it. I am anxious and looking forward to competing against the top linemen in the nation and seeing where I measure up. I am going to do my best and let God take me as far as he wants me to go.

Sincerely,
Roger Allen, OG, Missouri Western

Photo Credit: Missouri Western