Green Bay Packers wide receiver Geronimo Allison celebrates his touchdown catch with teammate Jared Cook against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on January 1. (Getty)
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Geronimo Allison will likely see increased playing time with Jordy Nelson sidelined with broken ribs in the team NFC Divisional playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys on January 15.
Allison has worked his way up through the Packers’ practice squad and has received increased playing time since he was added to the main roster.
Here’s what you need to know about him.
1. Allison Went Undrafted Out of Illinois
After a solid college career at the University of Illinois, Allison didn’t hear his name called during the 2016 NFL Draft. But in late April 2016, he inked a deal with the Packers.
After high school, Allison received a scholarship to Iowa Western Community College and spent two seasons there. He led IWCC to the 2012 NJCAA national title. During the championship season, Allison caught 69 passes for 882 yards and 8 touchdowns. He followed the freshman triumph up with an even better statistical year as a sophomore, catching 65 passes for 882 yards before transferring to Illinois.
In his two seasons at Illinois, Allison had 106 catches for 1,480 yards and 8 touchdowns. As a senior, he led the team with 65 catches for 882 yards and 3 scores.
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After signing the contract with the Packers, he was cut by the team following training camp. But he was signed to the practice squad just two days later.
With injuries piling up, the wide receiver was promoted to the active roster October 24.
Allison first saw the field Week 8 against the Atlanta Falcons. He made his first NFL catch during the game, which was a 4-yard touchdown from quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
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In his first NFL season, Allison has 12 catches for 202 yards and 2 touchdowns. With receiver Jordy Nelson sidelined with two fractured ribs against the Dallas Cowboys in an NFC Divisional round game, Allison will likely see additional playing time.
2. On January 13, Allison Was Charged With Possession of Marijuana
The incident occurred in September 2016, when Allison was pulled over by a state trooper from the Wisconsin State Patrol. A criminal complaint said that the trooper smelled the scent of marijuana coming from Allison’s vehicle. He allegedly identified himself a member of the Packers and denied smoking marijuana or having any of the substance in the car. The complaint stated that Allison said the odor was from the night before when he was “with some guys that were smoking.”
The trooper then searched Allison’s car and found three cigars on the front seat filled with a “green, leafy material” that proved to be THC, the complaint said.
Following the incident, Allison was placed under arrest and transported to the Manitowoc County Jail for possession of marijuana. He also received a citation for speeding.
The Packers released a statement following the charges being filed.
A court hearing regarding the charge is scheduled for January 23.
3. Before He Was in The NFL, Allison Had Had Some NSFW Tweets
After Allison scored his first touchdown of his career, he found the power of social media the hard way, as his tweets sent years before playing in the NFL were dug up and publicized (Warning: NSFW tweets).
The tweets talked about just about everything from sexual encounters to things that are incoherent. When questioned about the tweets by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Allison didn’t confirm or deny that the screenshots were from his account. He told reporter Michael Cohen:
It’s kind of hard to say, that was back then. It’s kind of hard to say. But I apologize about that, that it is on my account. I can’t say if that was me or if it wasn’t, but it’s on my account and I apologize about that.
Of course, Allison deleted the social media account (@813MrFreakShow) once the tweets came to light.
4. He Was Named ‘Geronimo’ Because it Was ‘Unique’
With such a different name than most, it’s no surprise that Geronimo gets questioned often about the origin of his name. In an interview with the News-Gazette, Allison said his mom gave him his first name because she wanted to give him “a unique name.”
Allison said in the Q&A that he’s never met another person named Geronimo and added that having the unique name has been “awesome” for him. “Being an athlete, it gives a ring to my game,” he added.
Melissa Glover, Allison’s mom, said she thought of the name because she wanted her son to stand out in a rough, rough neighborhood, which was 20 minutes southwest of Tampa, Florida.
Allison continued during the interview with the News-Gazette that growing up, kids would make fun of him and his name. To get through the ordeal, he said that it took him “getting mature and comfortable.”
5. Allison Was Academically Ineligible Twice in High School
Allison attended Spoto High School and also played baseball as a pitcher and outfielder. On the Spoto football team, he saw playing time on the varsity roster as a freshman, but poor academics halted even more playing time.
ESPN Milwaukee’s Jason Wilde wrote that Allison was academically ineligible during his sophomore and junior years. He told Wilde, “I wasn’t a big school guy; I didn’t take it seriously.”
Allison ended up seeing a tutor and became eligible for his senior season. He caught 26 passes for 567 yards with 4 touchdowns during the season and then went to Iowa Western Community College.
Packers Playoff Schedule: Who & When Do Packers Play Next?
The Green Bay Packers defeated the New York Giants in an NFC Wild Card game January 8. Now they are on their way to the NFC Divisional round.
Chris Bucher is a sports, politics and general news contributor to Heavy. A University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh graduate, Bucher is the business editor at The Waukesha Freeman and the former sports assistant editor. You can follow him on Twitter @Buchage and reach him at chris.bucher@heavy.com.January 15, 2017 11:48 am
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