Portland State Magazine Fall 2014

FALL 2014 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE 29 Looking Back I AM ALWAYS asking alumni to give me a story for this page. I’ve realized that I have my own “looking back” memories of the University, which only makes sense since I’ve been the editor of Portland State Magazine for more than two decades. I want to reminisce about Ernest Duncan Allen, better known as Pokey Allen, head football coach at PSU from 1986 to 1992. Pokey didn’t know me, but like many Portlanders, I enjoyed his flamboyant television commercials showing him riding an elephant and being shot out of a cannon as well as his game-day antics allowing fans to vote for plays. The fans loved him, and I saw that firsthand one day as he was walking about half a block ahead of me on Southwest Broadway. People continuously stopped him. I would see them talking and shaking his hand. It looked like he was enjoying the encounter just as much as they were. Pokey didn’t take himself too seriously, but that didn’t stop him from being a great coach. The Vikings won a lot of games during his seven seasons and made the national playoffs twice. When he left PSU, he took the Boise State Broncos even farther. Pokey died from cancer in 1996 when he was only 53. I think the Pac-12 and maybe even the NFL missed a good coach.  -Kathryn Kirkland, editor Memories of a football legend