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The 5 best moments from Matt Luke surprising an Ole Miss walk-on with a scholarship

Floyd Allen was homeless after walking away from JUCO football two years ago. Now he’s a scholarship wideout in the SEC.

By Jeff Gray

Has every major college football team in America made a habit of producing social media-friendly videos of their walk-on players being offered scholarships? Yes.

Do they ever get old? Absolutely not.

If nothing else, you have to give Ole Miss head coach Matt Luke creativity points while surprising Floyd Allen, a senior wide receiver who two years ago was homeless and working at McDonald’s after walking away from JUCO football.

This video is full of so, so many awesome things. We ranked the best moments.

5. Allen making the catch.

How awkward would this have been if he dropped it?

This isn’t some feel-good PR stunt, by the way. With A.J. Brown and Damarkus Lodge nursing injuries, Allen’s been contributing on the first-team offense in fall camp.

4. Allen and the team reacting to his catch like it won the national championship.

Allen’s journey to Ole Miss was a long one. As a high schooler, he initially received scholarship offers from the likes of Cal, Oregon and Georgia. Allen watched those offers disappear after an ACL tear as a senior and he ended up at a small school in Kansas.

3. Allen and Luke embracing after the chaos.

Allen transferred to a JUCO in California but found the going difficult. As reported by HottyToddy.com:

Allen worked at McDonald’s while playing football to provide for himself. He found it difficult to meet basic financial needs, like having enough money for food. He eventually decided to quit playing football, and because he was there on a scholarship, he had to move out of his apartment. Allen said he was homeless for a few months until he became determined to get his life together.

2. Matt Luke: “What is it, a gift certificate?”

Selling the play-fake right up to the last moment. Great work, coach.

The twist of fate that landed Allen on Luke’s roster is incredible. Again from HottyToddy.com:

One day, while scrolling through social media, Allen noticed a coach from his old school who had worked at the University of California. Allen said Jacob Peeler was the wide receiver coach there until he was offered a job at the University of Mississippi. Allen sent Peeler a congratulatory message on Twitter. Peeler quickly responded and told him there was an available walk-on spot for a wide receiver, and he wanted Allen to try out for it.

1. The exact moment Allen realizes what the paper says.

Congrats, Floyd, you’ve earned it.