CAREER
Two-time All-Ivy League selection (2017 and 2021) … Four-year letterman and three-year starter at cornerback who has seen action in 38 games with 27 starts … Ranks No. 2 in school history in career blocked kicks with five (three point after attempts, two field goals/three in 2019 and two in 2017) … Holds school-records for most yards per kickoff return in a career (26.11), most kickoff return touchdowns in a career (1), most career plays of 80-plus yards (2), and ranks seventh all-time in Columbia records with 17 career pass breakups. Served as the Lions’ kickoff returner in his first two seasons at Columbia … As a kick returner, totaled 831 kickoff return yards on 33 attempts for a 25.2 yards per return average with a long of 91 yards … Has 1,026 career all-purpose yards … As a three-year starting cornerback, made 61 tackles (40 solo), 4.0 tackles for loss for eight yards, intercepted three passes, and finished with 20 pass deflections (three INT/17 pass breakups) … Also has 1,026 kickoff return yards on 37 attempts with one touchdowns, 46 interception return yards on three interceptions, and 1,074 career all-purpose yards.
2021
Honorable Mention All-Ivy League honoree as a senior cornerback … Earned Second Team All-Ivy League honors by Phil Steele Magazine … Named a preseason Second Team All-Ivy League selection by Phil Steele Magazine … Earned the Head Coach Career Achievement Award … Started all 10 games at cornerback … Led the Lions with 11 pass breakups, finished with two interceptions with 47 return yards and made 22 tackles (14 solo) on the year … Also ranked No. 4 in the nation and No. 1 in the Ivy League in kickoff return touchdowns (1), No. 18 nationally and No. 2 in Ivy League in passes defended (1.2 per game) and No. 8 in the Ivy League in interceptions (two) … His 11 pass breakups on the year rank tied for the fifth-most total in Columbia season history … Also finished with four kickoff returns for 195 yards and a 92-yard touchdown … Intercepted a career-best two passes with 47 return yards, made three tackles and broke up a pass in the season finale at Cornell (Nov. 20) … Recovered fumble, broke up two passes, made two tackles vs. Brown (Nov. 13) … Made three tackles vs. Harvard (Nov. 6) … Broke up a pass at Yale (Oct. 30) … Tied a season-high with four tackles (two solo) and a pass breakup at Dartmouth (Oct. 22) … Broke up two passes with a tackle vs. Penn (Oct. 16) … Tied a season-high with four tackles (three solo) with two pass breakups at Central Connecticut State (Oct. 9) … Made two tackles with a pass breakup at Princeton (Oct. 2) … Scored a first career return touchdown on a 92-yard kickoff return, totaled 122 all-purpose yards on two kickoff returns, made three tackles (two solo) with a pass breakup vs. Georgetown (Sept. 25) … Totaled 45 kickoff return yards on two returns in season opener vs. Marist (Sept. 18).
2020
Named a preseason Second Team All-Ivy League selection by Phil Steele Magazine … Season canceled due to COVID pandemic.
2019
Played and started in all 10 games as a junior defensive back … Starter at cornerback … Also contributed on special teams … Ranked No. 2 in the national FCS statistics, led the Ivy League and the team in blocked kicks with three on the year (national leader William & Mary’s Bill Murray had four) … Ranked No. 12 on the squad with 20 tackles (13 solo), four pass breakups, intercepted one pass and registered 1.5 tackles for loss for three yards … Named preseason First Team All-Ivy League honors by Phil Steele Magazine … Blocked two point after attempts and a field goal on the year … Made two tackles in the season finale at Cornell (Nov. 23) … Made three solo tackles and blocked a point after attempt vs. Brown (Nov. 16) … Tied a season-high with four tackles and registered a pass breakup at Yale (Nov. 2) … Intercepted first career pass and returned it one yard at Dartmouth (Oct. 25) … Blocked a point after attempt in the fourth quarter vs. Penn (Oct. 19) … Made two tackles and blocked a 46-yard field goal in the second quarter vs. Central Connecticut State (Oct. 12) … Made two tackles with a pass breakup at Princeton (Oct. 5) … Finished with two tackles vs. Georgetown (Sept. 28) … Finished with a season-high four tackles, 1.5 tackle for loss for three yards and broke up a pass at Saint Francis, Pa. (Sept. 21).
2018
As a sophomore, saw action in eight games with seven starts at cornerback before injuries slowed him the second half of the year … Led Lions in kickoff returns with 12 for 324 yards with a long of 91 and made 17 tackles (11 solo) with 2.5 tackles for loss and two pass breakups on the year … Made three tackles (two solo) at Penn (Oct. 13) … Totaled 124 all-purpose yards on five kickoff returns with a long of 36 vs. Marist (Oct. 6) … Returned kickoff a career-long 91 yards, led Lions with 120 all-purpose yards on three kickoff returns, made three tackles vs. Princeton (Sept. 28) …His 91-yard return ranked as the eighth longest kick return in school history … Named Ivy League Special Teams Player of the Week on Oct. 1 following his performance vs. Princeton … Made three tackles at Georgetown (Sept. 23) … In first career start, made a career-high seven tackles (four solo) with 2.0 tackles for loss and returned three kickoffs for 67 yards at Central Connecticut State (Sept. 15) …Preseason All-Ivy League First Team selection by Phil Steele Magazine.
2017
Earned honorable mention All-Ivy League honors as a kickoff returner … Saw action in all 10 games as a first-year defensive back and kickoff returner … Contributed on special teams as Columbia’s kick returner and on defense as a backup cornerback … Threat to score any time he touched the ball on kickoff returns … Led the Ivy League, ranked No. 25 nationally and led the Lions with a 24.1 yards per return average … Ranked third on the squad in all-purpose yardage with 507 (507 kick return yards) … With two blocked kicks registered in back-to-back games at Yale and vs. Harvard, ranked No. 11 nationally in blocked kicks per game (2 in 10 games) … Returned 21 kickoffs for 507 yards and a 24.1 yards per return average with a long of 48 yards, blocked two kicks and made two tackles on special teams … Ranked second on the team with eight plays over 20 yards or more and three plays over 40 yards … Four-time Ivy League weekly honor roll honoree … Returned a season-long 48-yard kickoff and blocked a point after attempt vs. Harvard (Nov. 4) … Returned five kickoffs for a season-high 99 yards with a long of 42 yards and blocked his first career kick, a 38-yard field goal attempt at Yale (Oct. 28) … Made solo tackle at Dartmouth (Oct. 21) … Registered first career tackle and returned three kickoffs for 73 yards at Marist (Oct. 7) … Returned four kickoffs for 73 yards with a long of 38 yards at Princeton (Sept. 30) … Returned three kickoffs for 89 yards with a long of 46 yards in season opener vs. Wagner (Sept. 16).
HIGH SCHOOL
A 2017 graduate of American Heritage High School in Plantation, Fla. where he played three years of varsity football for head coach Pat Surtain … Led the Patriots to two state titles (2014 and 2016) and three district championships (2014, 2015, 2016) … Emerged as a playmaker at defensive back for the Patriots … Concluded three-year varsity career with 60 total tackles (22 solo), 4.0 tackles for loss, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries … Registered 40 total tackles (17 solo) and 4.0 tackles for loss, two interceptions, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and three touchdowns as a senior … Named team captain as a senior … Scored two defensive touchdowns, the first on a three-yard interception return and the second on a 70-yard fumble return in a victory over Coconut Creek … Led the Patriots to a perfect 14-0 record, 5-0 district record and state title as a senior … Helped lead the Patriots to a 9-2 overall record and perfect 5-0 district record as a junior … Made 20 tackles with one interception, contributed one fumble recovery and one forced fumble as a junior … Played on the South Florida Express 7on7 team … Rated a two-star recruit by Scout.com … Volunteered with Little League football.
PERSONAL
Born William Allen III on October 10, 1999 … Son of William and Roshonda Allen … Has a sister Jasmine and brother Blake … Father William, Sr. played defensive back at Syracuse (1996-2000) and then for 11 years in the NFL with the New York Giants (2001-06), Miami Dolphins (2006-11) and New England Patriots (2012) … Father was selected by the New York Giants in the First Round of the 2001 NFL Draft … Hobbies and interests include music, movies, computers and football since he has played since age 5 … Has family living in New York City … Owns a 37-inch vertical leap … Favorite sports figure is Antonio Brown … Played at same high school as Columbia placekicker Oren Milstein and fellow first-year Blake Wooden… Committed to Columbia on December 17, 2016 … Chose Columbia because it “was the best place for me to better myself as an athlete, person and student” … Chose Columbia over Penn, Dartmouth, Florida Tech and Army West Point … Enrolled at Columbia College … Majors in Economics.
ARTICLES
Will Allen is a Playmaker
Nine Sons of NFL Players Expected to Star in High School Football
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
