CEDAR FALLS - Terrell Allen knows what he wants out of life.

A quality education is high on his list. He places an uncompromising value on family and relationships. And he wants to enjoy the game of football as long as he can.

When Allen transferred from Pittsburgh to Northern Iowa during the summer of 2006, the road map to his future was blurred with uncertainty. A year and a half later, everything is back in focus for the Wellford, S.C., native.

Allen has adjusted to a new environment he never expected to experience. His family has supported his decision. His most important relationship is thriving. And he's having a blast playing football for UNI's top-ranked and undefeated football team.

"He has a purpose as far as academics and what he wants from college," said Panther head coach Mark Farley. "He's one of those guys who has a plan and is always mapping out his future."

Allen is also a new father. Last Thursday, he and his longtime girlfriend, who moved to Cedar Falls after graduating from Pitt, became the proud parents of 7-pound, 11-ounce Sienna Tiani.

"She's adorable," said Allen.

It's a lot for a college senior to handle, but Allen embraces the challenge.

"It's football and class, and then it's your outside life," he explained. "That's my outside life. It's going to come here eventually. Football isn't a guaranteed thing, and once you're done with class you've got to go out and get in the real world.

"I'm just there a little earlier than I expected."

Truth be known, Allen never thought he'd have a reason to leave Pittsburgh. He got into 12 games as a true freshman with one start at receiver and returned 25 kickoffs for a 23.8-yard average. In 2004, he redshirted after suffering a ligament tear in his wrist during spring drills that required surgery.

Expecting to become a bigger part of the offense in 2005, Allen was disappointed when he saw action in only seven games as a kick returner (21 returns, 25.1-yard average, one TD) in new coach Dave Wannstedt's system.

"I liked it there," said Allen. "But due to a coaching change and the environment changing, I had to leave. It wasn't something I wanted to do. I had a bunch of players who are still on the team now that I'm real close with.

"But it's just like life. You have to move on and you have to make changes, and sometimes change is for the best."

Allen learned about UNI, and UNI learned about Allen, through a former Pittsburgh graduate assistant who is a close friend of UNI assistant coach Atif Austin.

Eventually, Allen became a Panther - for the second time in his gridiron career. He arrived with high expectations, but also with a lot to learn about UNI football.

"It was a reality check for me," he said. "I had to come in here and learn new plays and learn the system, learn different coaching styles and different philosophies … The first year was kind of overwhelming. I handled myself alright, but not to the expectations I wanted to."

Allen's debut was impressive. He returned the first kickoff at Drake for a 97-yard touchdown and caught five passes during a UNI rout. He finished with 19 receptions for 274 yards and two touchdowns and was named to the Gateway's All-Newcomer team.

"I think the first season he was here was a learning experience," said Farley. "Number one, you've got to learn your responsibilities in our system, but you've also got to figure out how you fit into our system. Those are two hard combinations to get accomplished quickly when you arrive in August.

"We're not a 'throw the bomb' team. We can put it on top, but we're more about precision routes and being where you're supposed to be. We have a quarterback who throws the ball equally across the board. Sometimes guys are coming from other systems where they pick one guy who is their go-to guy.

"I think Terrell, and Victor (Williams) and Whitney (Lewis), too, had to get used to that."

Allen paid his dues and this season, after the graduation of James Lindgren and Curt Bradley, his role has expanded. As part of an offense that spreads the ball to as many as nine receivers, he has grabbed seven passes and scored once. But at 6-feet by 200 pounds, he's also proven to be a strong downfield blocker in both the running and passing games.

Actually, that's a part of the game Allen enjoys. He developed a strong weight room and workout ethic back at James Byrnes High School, one of the top prep football programs in the country.

"That was my game coming out of high school, and I didn't get to show it that much at Pitt," he related. "When I got here, I wanted to refresh my mind back to high school. I said, 'I want to be a better blocker and not just a receiver.'

"Everybody can go catch the ball and everybody can go run routes, but can you take on a linebacker head-on or a defensive end or whoever they want you to block? That's my goal for this year, and it's paying off a little bit."

Allen comes from a family of football players. He has one older brother who played and two younger brothers who are still playing. His mother, Doreen, loves to watch her boys play.

"My oldest brother is 25 now," said Allen. "I always say my mama has been to football for 20 years and yet she still doesn't know anything about it. She cheers all of us on. She was up to a game last year, and she's gonna come up to a couple this year.

"She's just excited."

So is Terrell. He is grateful for the opportunity to be part of the UNI family.

"I was able to move from an unstable home and come to somewhere that I was very accepted with open arms," he said. "Some people say transferring isn't a good thing and it's not the best way to lead your college life.

"I think leaving Pitt and coming here was one of the best things I've ever done. When I got here, I pulled up in a U-Haul and Johnny Gray (Panther receiver) and coach Austin were waiting on me for about 10 or 15 minutes.

"I will never forget about that, even though I'm in Iowa where it gets negative-30 degrees."

As for football, Allen is enjoying his new team. The Panthers' ride at the top of the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision is a bonus.

"What really means a lot to me is finishing my career with a great bunch of players," he said. "Great victories come with great effort, but you can't always have somebody who is gonna push you like this team has pushed me."

Contact Doug Newhoff at (319) 291-1467 or doug.newhoff@wcfcourier.com