INDIANAPOLIS – Dwayne Allen has a unique perspective on his return to the football field.
Fans all over social media have been clamoring to see Allen back in the lineup this fall.
Yes, Allen is anxious as well to put the pads back on, but he's even more excited to get something back in his life that he sorely missed for nearly the entire 2013 season.
"Everyone talked during the offseason about the Colts getting Dwayne Allen back, well I'm excited about getting the Colts back and being out there with the guys," Allen says.
Expectations for Allen last year included Pro Bowl aspirations after a stellar rookie campaign.
In 2012, Pro Football Focus ranked Allen the second best tight end in all of football.
After battling a foot injury during the 2013 training camp, Allen showed no ill effects hauling in a 20-yard touchdown in the season opener.
However, later on in that game against Oakland, Allen fell awkwardly on his hip and immediately knew something wasn't right.
A promising 2013 season was over, after just one catch.
Allen is back running full speed with the Colts offense and he's slowly starting to feel like the productive force he was as a rookie.
"Cautious, not just because of the injury, but giving my body time to adjust back to the game," Allen says of his take on OTAs. "We don't play until September and I'm fully aware of that, the coaching staff is and the training staff also.
"It's a process. My body has to get used to it. I feel as if every day I got a little better and that's what I expected."
When Pep Hamilton was hired last January, Allen figured to be a major beneficiary of a tight end-friendly offense.
Allen's ability to excel in the blocking game, along with catching 45 passes in 2012, would allow the Colts to be unpredictable with No. 83 on the field.
The pads haven't been put on yet, but even the Colts defense is taking notice of a healthy Allen opposite them.
"You can tell (Allen) got some rest," outside linebacker Erik Walden said with a smile.
"He looked fluid, still got his speed and his burst."
That feeling extends inside the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center where Ryan Grigson is anxious to get Allen back within the offense.
Based off Allen's impact in the run and pass game, one could argue that his loss was right up there with any of the handful of guys the Colts offense placed on injured reserve in 2013.
Allen's back now, and that makes one happy General Manager.
"The guy's a beast," Grigson said of Allen earlier this offseason. "Anyone that game plans against him or watches the tape, or Joe Fan that just sees him how he plays in the red zone, how he plays in traffic, how he blocks at the point of attack, the tempo he plays at and the ferocity he plays at, he's a guy you want on your team.
"We look forward to him having a great year."
