Michigan State Football: Top 50 players of all time
Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans fans cheer during the first quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference football championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
42. Eric Allen
Eric ‘The Flea’ Allen, also nicknamed ‘Easy’ for his running style, has one of the most impressive records in Michigan State history, recording 350 rushing yards and four touchdowns against Purdue in 1971 — oh yeah, and that was on just 29 carries. It happened to be a NCAA record at the time and has since been passed, but that impressive mark may never be topped by another Spartan.
According to former teammate back in 1971, offensive guard Joe DeLamielleure, the late Eric Allen will always be remembered. He had this to say, according to MSU’s athletics site, following his death in 2015 at the age of 66:
"“Eric had a remarkable senior year and he performed on a national stage. He put on a show while setting the NCAA single-game rushing record at Purdue. I almost felt guilty because I literally had to hold my block for only a second and he was gone. It was like being asked to babysit when the kids were already asleep. He was so shifty, like a rubber-band man. Eric ran wild against a Purdue defense that featured a number of great players, including Dave Butz, Gregg Bingham and Steve Baumgartner. All three of those guys became NFL Draft picks. Eric had a couple of nicknames, including `The Flea’ and `Easy.’ We called him `Easy’ because of his running style. He was such a peanut, but he wouldn’t back down from anyone. Eric almost had a split personality. He was so friendly off the field, but he was so little, yet so tough. Eric was a great team player; he was never concerned about individual honors.”"
As one of the best running backs to never receive enough attention, Allen finished his career as the all-time leading rusher in MSU history with 2,654 yards and 28 touchdowns. Those numbers would soon be passed by Steve Smith and Blake Ezor.
Next: 41. Jack Conklin