All-Americans, professional draft picks, a bevy of first-team All-Big Ten selections and some conference champions highlight our annual list of Purdue's athletes of the year.
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Cornerback Ricardo Allen starts GoldandBlack.com's series, a subjective look at our top 10 Boilermakers from 2011-12.
No. 10: Ricardo Allen
Bio: A rising sophomore emerging as one of the Big Ten's best cornerbacks
Summary: Ricardo Allen didn't hide it.
After being selected as only a second-team All-Big Ten pick following the 2011 season, he wasn't happy and took to Twitter more than once to vent. Even in February, he was tweeting, "Everyday I wake up and look at 2 signs that say (2ND TEAM BIG TEN). I don't know about you but that's not good enough for me."
But that perceived slight likely only will fuel Allen for a special junior season: He may push himself harder than anyone in the football program.
After a freshman season that earned him freshman All-America honors by Rivals.com, Allen stayed strong his sophomore season. He started all 13 games - making him 25-for-25 in his career - and had a team-high three interceptions, was fourth on the team with 81 tackles and was third with seven passes defended.
His pick-six against Minnesota on Oct. 8 was the third of his career, tying him for the school's all-time record with Rod Woodson and Mike Rose.
But Allen still strives to be better. There were moments last season, specifically against elite receivers Michael Floyd and Marvin McNutt, that Allen struggled.
So, naturally, his goal in 2012: "Just go hard every play and not give up any catches," he said this spring. "I'm trying to go for zero catches for the season."
Analysis: It'll be interesting to see what Allen can do in his third season as a starter but first in coordinator Tim Tibesar's defense.
There's a chance Purdue could play more man-to-man coverage this season, giving Allen an opportunity to truly prove his worth. It should help that the Boilermakers seem to have other talent in the secondary, specifically the cornerback opposite Allen in Josh Johnson.
Though there are some good cornerbacks in the Big Ten this season, it'd be shocking if Allen didn't finally produce a first-team caliber season in 2012.