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Tired of pompous http://www.thetexansfootballauthentic.com/lamar-miller-jersey-authentic , entitled athletes who don't seem to realize how good they have it?Fed up with all the scandals and cheats and scoundrels mucking things up for the rest of us?Meet Ricardo Allen.He'll give you a reason to cheer.Allen plays for the Atlanta Falcons, a 26-year-old free safety who will readily admit he's not the fastest, not the strongest, not the biggest guy in the room."I won't be anybody's first pick," said Allen, who at 5-foot-9 comes up 3 inches shy of this aging sports scribe.That's OK.He's so much more than that.This is a guy who hasn't forgotten what it's like to be told you're not good enough — on HBO's "Hard Knocks" no less, for the whole world to see.This is a guy who remembers what it's like to spend a year on the practice squad, putting in as much work as the next guy but knowing he won't get a chance to shine on Sundays.So, when word came that Allen had agreed to a contract extension with the Falcons, one that should set him up nicely for the rest of his life if he manages his money right, he didn't exactly celebrate.That's not his style.Instead, he watched that "Hard Knocks" episode all over again, the one where then-Atlanta coach Mike Smith doles out the pink slip ."You can kind of see I smiled a little bit," Allen recalled. "I knew that wasn't going to be my last straw. I've been turned down plenty of times in life Womens Benardrick McKinney Jersey , man. That wasn't the first time I've been told I wasn't good enough."Allen's new contract — $19.5 million for three more seasons — pales in comparison to, say, teammate Matt Ryan, who agreed to a massive deal that averages $30 million a year and guarantees the star quarterback at least $100 million.But Allen is grateful for his $5.5 million signing bonus. He knows that's a massive amount of money to just about anyone else. He hopes it sends just the right message to anyone scuffling on the fringes of a roster."This wasn't just a deal for myself," Allen said. "This was a deal for everybody who has to struggle, who has to fight from the bottom. It's possible to make it to the top."Even now, he has a soft spot for all those guys going through the same struggles."When I was in college, I used to work out with the walk-ons," Allen said. "I was always attracted to hard workers. I was always attracted to the bottom feeders."After Dan Quinn took over as Atlanta's coach in 2015, he was impressed by Allen's tackling skills but felt he was out of place at cornerback, his position at Purdue and what he started out playing with the Falcons.Allen was moved to safety. Suddenly, he blossomed. One training camp after being waived, he surged to the top row of the depth chart, going on start 14 games as a de facto rookie in 2015.But he never got comfortable.Not then.Not even now Youth Ka'imi Fairbairn Jersey , when he's so clearly a part of Atlanta's long-term plans."That ain't in my blood," Allen said, chuckling at the mere suggestion.Zealously guarding against those thoughts ever creeping into his head, Allen is always looking for ways to make things harder on himself.Right down to the smallest details.If his eggs are too runny, he's not sending them back. If it gets cold in his room, he'll turn down the thermostat even more."This world is so used to being comfortable all the time," Allen said. "It's weird, man, I know. But it's just something I do so I don't get complacent, so I never feel like what I've done is enough."Allen has always worn his emotions on his sleeve, which was never more evident that when I talked with him less than an hour after the Falcons squandered a 25-point lead in the Super Bowl.While most everyone else did their best to cover up the overwhelming pain, Allen made it clear exactly how he was feeling."I'm broken inside," he said that night in the bowels of Houston's NRG Stadium . "I'm not a guy that forgets very easy. I'll probably never forget this. It will always be haunting."But, like every setback in Allen's life http://www.thetexansfootballauthentic.com/zach-cunningham-jersey-authentic , pain served a purpose.He put together another strong season in 2017, though the Falcons were knocked out of the playoffs in the divisional round. He's one of the leaders on a young, speedy defense, doling out and advice and mentoring anyone who wants to know how to do things the right way.When the Falcons announced Allen's new contract, there wasn't a hint of jealousy from his teammates.Quite the opposite.That day, during a meeting with the entire team, Quinn asked, "If you've ever been supported or encouraged by Ricardo Allen, please stand up."Everyone rose from their seats, from the biggest stars on the team to those who will likely be cut in a week or two."You see the impact that a guy like him has on a team," Quinn marveled.It doesn't matter if you're a Falcons fan.No. 37 is a guy we can all root for.Paul Newberry is a sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at pnewberry@ap.org or at pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at s://apnews/search/paul%20newberry The Houston Texans didn't pick until the third round in this year's draft.That hasn't stopped them from getting plenty of contributions from their unsung rookies, led by Justin Reid, a third-round pick whose 101-yard interception return for a TD helped Houston extend its winning streak to seven games last week.Houston did not have a pick in the first two rounds after trading a first-round pick to Cleveland in 2017 to move up to get quarterback Deshaun Watson at No. 12. They previously sent their second-round pick in the 2018 draft to the Browns as part of the deal to get rid of Brock Osweiler.Because of those moves their first pick this year was at No. 68 and they used it to select Reid, a safety from Stanford. They got center Martinas Rankin and tight end Jordan Akins later in the third round; picked up receiver Keke Coutee in the fourth; and added tight end Jordan Thomas in the sixth."Those guys have really been an impressive class just from a personal standpoint 鈥?maturity http://www.thetexansfootballauthentic.com/j.j.-watt-jersey-authentic , work ethic and they really work hard to improve, and they understand their role on the team, their spot on the team," coach Bill O'Brien said."Guys in that class are very respectful of the veterans in the locker room. I think they've added a lot to the chemistry of the locker room."Reid has appeared in every game for the Texans, has 53 tackles and leads the team with three interceptions. He might have had a leg up on most rookies because his older brother, Eric, is a six-year NFL veteran who recently returned to the NFL with Carolina. Justin said the two used to sit outside the house and break down film when he was still in college.He knows it's sometimes difficult for lower draft picks to contribute so quickly, but believes the success of this rookie class has been important to Houston's turnaround."You need that," he said. "All good teams you need your role players to play well. You need guys to step up in big-time situations and make some plays. That's one of the best things about this team is we don't know week to week who's going to come up and make a big play ... and when you have guys all around the field making plays and able to contribute to a team win, that's when you know you have a good thing going."Veteran defensive back Tyrann Mathieu agreed and raved about Houston's rookie class."I hear a lot of people talk about our leadership, obviously, coming from an 0-3 start, but I would probably say that our young guys have really helped us out a lot, too http://www.thetexansfootballauthentic.com/johnathan-joseph-jersey-authentic ," he said. "Just their character ... just those guys showing up to work every day. That's all you can ask for from rookies."Rankin has appeared in each game with three starts, and Akins, Thomas and Coutee have also contributed on offense. Coutee has played a bigger role since Will Fuller suffered a season-ending knee injury, and he has 26 receptions for 273 yards and a touchdown.Akins has 11 receptions for 131 yards. Thomas has 10 receptions for 138 yards and has become a favorite red-zone target of Watson and has three short touchdowns.Coutee said a key to finding success as a rookie is making sure the veterans know they can count on you."Just earning everybody's trust and showing everyone that you can play and that you belong, as well," he said. "Once you get these guys' trust in this locker room, then you can make plays, and that's what a lot of our rookies are doing this year."Reid credits his success this season to the work he puts in off the field and estimates that he spends 10-12 hours a week at home doing extra work to make sure he's prepared for the games."You should see my IPad and the notes that I take," he said. "I take notes on everything and I study it, and I'm a film rat and I love to be able to see things on tape. And when you see it over and over on film, then you see it in the game, you can almost anticipate it. And then you combine that with the leadership you have on this team and just with experience with having reps, things just slow down more and more."