Wide receiver Allen Middleton welcomed back to SIU with open arms
- Tom Weber
- 52 minutes ago
- 11 min read
CARBONDALE, Ill. — It’s not quite the story of the Prodigal Son, but wide receiver Allen Middleton’s return to Southern Illinois, after one season at Bowling Green, has some obvious parallels.
After a breakout season for the Salukis in 2024, Middleton entered college football’s transfer portal marketplace, a decision he now acknowledges was a mistake.
“I feel like I left prematurely in this new college football world,” Middleton said. “I should have stayed, and I can admit that now. I'm in a different mind-space now than I was before I departed.”
Although he caught only eight passes for the Falcons last season, Middleton said his personal growth was significant, including getting baptized. After the season, he re-entered the portal, with the hope of returning to Southern.
Middleton sought advice from current and former Saluki players, including Vinson Davis III, a receiver who also left and later returned to SIU. Would there still be hard feelings about his departure, or would he be welcomed back?
The answers he received were resounding. Yes, he’d be welcomed back with open arms.
The final step was to bridge the gap with the coaching staff. Middleton spoke to his former position coach, Zach Grant, as well as assistant coach Larry Warner and head coach Nick Hill. He described them as “great conversations.”
“They were just talking about how they think they'll be getting a better version of myself versus when I had left,” Middleton said. “That speaks volumes, because in today's day and age, a lot of college coaches, they'll kick you to the curb. Having Coach Hill and his staff give me a second chance after leaving, that's just a blessing in itself.”
Middleton is having an excellent spring campaign for the Salukis and hopes to put an exclamation point on his redemption story in the 2026 season.
StrongDawgs Conversation with Allen Middleton
SD: You spent much of your childhood living in Okinawa, Japan. Tell me about your experience growing up in a military family.
AM: I was born in Japan, lived there for four years. Then we moved to Crestview, Florida. We lived there for four years, then we moved back to Japan for four years. At a young age, I was exposed to a lot of different things than the normal American child, but I think that also made it easier for me to adapt to different things throughout life. It's my fun fact to tell people that I lived in Japan. I like anime. I eat rice balls all the time. My mannerisms are more of a Japanese style.
SD: Did you learn to speak Japanese?
AM: We had a Japanese language class, and I could speak the normal greetings, but I don't think I could speak it anymore. I wasn't really that fluent in it, but I knew enough to get around.
SD: What were some of your most memorable experiences from living in Japan?
AM: We got to go out outside of the military base and explore Japan, try the food, meet the people. We took field trips to the Hiroshima Memorial Museum and Okuma Beach. They have a place called Pineapple Park, where it's a whole park with just pineapples.
SD: What was your dad’s role in the military?
AM: He served 24 years in the Air Force working on planes and flight equipment. He was a master sergeant. He got deployed a couple times, and he’ll tell me stories every now and then. I just know I looked up to him as a kid, and I know he worked hard — sun-up to sundown. He was always there to provide for our family. On the hard days in football, I think about how disciplined my dad was.
SD: You were an elite football player in high school, but your bio is filled with accomplishments in other sports and activities. What sticks out about your high school career?
AM: Basketball was my first love, actually, but when you realize you're not going to grow to be 6-foot-3, I decided to focus more on football.
My mom's a big track & field fan, and my brother set a bunch of school records, so I was following in his footsteps to see if I could put my name in the record books. I went to indoor state for both the long and triple jump, outdoor state for the 4x1 and 4x2. I enjoyed the jumping, but I never really liked the sprinting. I mainly did track to keep myself in shape.
I would say some of my biggest highlights from high school actually didn't come with sports. I was the student council president my senior year, and I was part of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, but I think my biggest accomplishment was starting what was called the Battle for the Spirit Stick. A bunch of my classmates were talking about how, after homecoming week, there's nothing exciting to look forward to.
SD: What’s the Battle for the Spirit Stick?
AM: It’s basically just an assembly at the end of year with games and activities. It's an even playing field for freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors to go against each other, and they battle for a spirit stick, which symbolizes having the most school spirit within the class.
I love bringing a community together. I don't limit myself to just one friend group or one group of people. I wanna get to know everybody for who they are. It was a big step for me just having to be outgoing and talk to people, connecting, and just learning how to go about getting something done. I had to talk to different people. I went to the band teacher and asked him if the band could play a new song they were working on. I think it got people excited and it's still going on to this day.
SD: What made you decide to come to SIU?
AM: You play the top teams in the FCS week-in and week-out, and who doesn't love competition? I love to compete. Being from a small town (Mascoutah) in southern Illinois, coming to a small town like Carbondale, just made sense. I was able to go back home recently and talk to a youth sports league about my experience here. Their eyes lit up. I'm their role model. It was a humbling experience because I was in their shoes before. I would look up to an older player and wanted to be him one day. Now being on the other side of it, it's good to see those children's faces light up.
SD: You redshirted as a true freshman in 2023, but got to play in four games. How difficult was the adjustment to college football?
AM: The adjustment was definitely a culture shock for me, but Coach (Zach) Grant and the guys in that room, they all took care of me. They took me in as little brother, and I think I learned the most that year. I really had to learn the details of the game and what it takes to be successful.
SD: You caught a touchdown in your first college game. What do you remember about the Western Illinois game?
AM: We were up big at halftime. Coach Grant came in the locker room and told me I was going in. I texted my dad in the locker room, “Dad, I'm about to go play.” The first play I was in, I caught a crosser route. The actual play that I scored the touchdown, we had a certain play call that was designed to go to me, and then we ended up running it. I remember catching the ball and all my teammates are celebrating with me. My dad was there to see it. He got it on video. I was feeling like, okay, I really do belong here.
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SD: As a redshirt freshman in 2024, you caught two passes during the month of September, and then your season really took off with 30 catches the last seven games. What was the key to your breakthrough?
AM: My second year, I was trying to take the next step and see if I can have a bigger role. It didn't start out as big as I had wanted it to, but I just kept my head down, kept playing as hard as I could in practice. I finally got my opportunity against Illinois State, and after that, it just took off. I wasn’t doing anything different or special. I just had the opportunity to display what I can do.
SD: After that season, like a lot of players, you entered the transfer portal and went to Bowling Green. Tell me about your season there.
AM: The season didn't go the way I wanted it to, but I think the real growth was more off the field. I was able to get baptized there. I was able to leap into my faith and start building a better connection with the Lord. Ohio State had started the Jesus Won movement, and two teammates, TJ Nelson and Victor Vazquez, wanted to bring it to Bowling Green. I've always been a believer, and I wanted to take that next step, and I felt like getting baptized was that next step for me. My mom and dad were able to come out there and see me give my testimony. I feel like that was a turning point in my life, most definitely.
As far as football, the biggest thing I learned was to keep working when no one's watching, even if the results aren't coming. When things go wrong, you gotta stay the course. Things went wrong there. I ended up being named a starter. I was wide receiver three. Then throughout the course of the season, I wasn't really seeing the ball as much as I wanted to. I looked at it in a different perspective of, if I'm not getting the ball, how can I still make an impact on the field? How can I block better? How can I run this route better in order for my teammate to get open and get the ball? Or how can I just be a better teammate? How can I lead others through my body language?
I had good coaches that mentored me every day. They were good people. They were always open to talk. When I was departing, it was no bad blood, they just wanted the best for me. I took a look at myself in the mirror and asked, am I where I want to be? If not, what do I need to do to get to where I want to be?
SD: What led you back to Southern Illinois?
AM: My ultimate goal is to play at the highest level I can achieve — NFL, XFL, CFL, whatever it will be. I knew I needed to be somewhere where I could get on the field and be featured in the offense. SIU was always in mind. I feel like I left prematurely in this new college football world. I should have stayed, and I can admit that now. I'm in a different mind-space than I was before I departed.
I talked to some guys — VD (Vinson Davis III), Ed (Robinson), DJ (Williams). I asked them, what's the possibility of this happening? And they told me, yeah, bro, if you come back, it'll be open arms. There'll be no bad blood between us. We would love to have you back. When the portal opened, I talked to Coach Grant, Coach (Larry) Warner, Coach Hill. I had great conversations with them. They were just talking about how they think they'll be getting a better version of myself versus when I had left. That speaks volumes, because in today's day and age, a lot of college coaches, they'll kick you to the curb. Having Coach Hill and his staff give me a second chance after leaving, that's just a blessing in itself.
Then knowing what the opportunity we have in front of us right now with this team, we have a chance to go win that National Championship, and I believe we'll do it. DJ’s a great quarterback, an All-American, a Walter Payton award finalist. I believe in him.
So it was really a no brainer coming back here. SIU offered me, and the next day, I was committed. There was no point in shopping around. I have a situation where people believe in me, and I feel like I owe it to them. I come here with my head down, a clean slate, and I’ll give it my all.
SD: What role do you hope to play in the offense this year?
AM: I just want to help the team. I could play a little running back. I could play receiver in the slot, and I learned how to play receiver on the outside at BG, because we ran a lot of 12 personnel. On top of that, being able to get into the return game some. In high school, I led the state in kick return yards, so I want to put that on display here, take some back to the crib. I'm excited to help the team in whatever way I can.
SD: What about life after football?
AM: My mom always preaches, don't put all your eggs in one basket. She said, your brain is your most valuable asset. I came to SIU to get a business economics degree, and I'll be able to graduate in December with that degree. Post-college, I want to be some sort of entrepreneur working with athletes and finances. I’m really big into the stock market. When I was first here, myself and Chris Presto, we started a little business called Mindset Matters, which focuses on the mental health side of athletes. Hopefully, when college is done, we can expand that business. My first option is obviously the NFL, but after that, it could be something different. I'm not going to limit myself. I feel like I can learn any skill.
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