Feb. 01--Allen Stallings had his family on his mind Sunday.
With his grandmother and mother at his side, the Oak Park-River Forest senior defensive end flipped his commitment from Central Michigan to Indiana during an official visit to the Bloomington, Ind., campus.
Stallings said his comfort with the Indiana coaching staff, plus the fact that his cousin, linebacker Niles Sykes, and his friend, cornerback Leon Thornton, both Montini grads, are both freshmen on the roster helped sway his decision.
Stallings said Indiana offered him Sunday.
"I kind of knew they would offer me (this weekend)," Stallings said. "I wanted to be sure if I went down there I would get an offer because I didn't want to be in a bad position with Central Michigan if Indiana didn't give me an offer. I felt comfortable there because I already knew some people, then I met some people this weekend and they were cool dudes.
"It's what I always dreamed off when I was a kid, just playing college football for a Big Ten school or at a big school. I'm going to enjoy it a lot. I can't wait to see the stadium packed with a lot of fans. Indiana was my number one school before I even committed to Central Michigan. This didn't come just out of the blue. I have been talking with Indiana, and we just lost contact for a bit and just got back into contact."
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Stallings, a three-year starter, tallied 71 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, and three forced fumbles and scored a defensive touchdown this season. A Tribune second-team All-State honoree, Stallings played numerous positions this season on the defensive line for the Huskies. He said Indiana plans to play him at stand-up defensive end.
"I really liked the coaching staff, and they are changing their defense around and I fit in better with it and that's why they contacted me," said Stallings, also a standout wrestler. "I like the campus and facilities, and everything was nice. I feel good about the decision. At the same time, it was very hard. I have a lot of respect for Central Michigan. They are good people over there."
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
