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While smash-mouth running backs who wear down defences aren’t necessarily in vogue, they haven’t gone the way of the dinosaur either. Thunder-thighed Jerome Messam, the LAV (light armoured vehicle) of the Stampeders, keeps the tradition alive in Calgary, flat running over people, yet still managing the speed to beat defenders outside.

Allen is getting his chance this week because of an ankle sprain picked up by Jeremiah Johnson inlast Friday’s 28-3 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Johnson, who appeared headed to a 100-yard rushing game, turned his ankle in the third quarter against the Tiger-Cats after churning for 76 yards on 12 carries. He didn’t participate in Monday’s practice with the Lions. Defensive tackle Mic’hael Brooks, who suffered a similar injury, also sat out.

While Johnson professes to be ready to go in two days’ time, his noticeable limp, and the fact the Lions have Allen as an alternative, would suggest it’s wishful thinking on the former’s part.

Signed by the Lions a day after Johnson in the CFL free agency period in February, Allen has been getting second helpings in practice to the former Oregon Duck since the day he arrived in camp. Lions head coach and GM Wally Buono said the plan wasn’t necessarily to keep both. But the decision to put Allen on the one-game injured list for the team’s first two starts looks to have been a sage move.

“We wanted to have a good starting point,” Buono explained. “We just felt, with both of those guys, they would come to camp, they would compete, they would push each other. And, if there was somebody better than them we hadn’t considered, we were going to be really, really good. You don’t want to see anybody get injured. But, at least now, we have a good option.”