Jonathan Allen was committed to being a high school basketball player—even as he emerged as one of the country’s top football recruits.

The defensive lineman from Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.) was a five-star recruit with offers from across the country.

But he never strayed far from his basketball roots.

According to his high school basketball coach, Benjamin West, Allen was passionate about the hardwood.

“He loves to play basketball and even as his football recruitment picked up in high school, he still planned on playing basketball every year,” West said.

On the court, Allen was a student of the game. West recalls him being smart, coachable and interested in the philosophy behind the sport.

He also helped uphold sportsmanship.

West recalls one instance where Allen displayed leadership in encouraging a teammate to make better decisions.

“There was a time after a controversial last-second loss when one of my players went angrily after a referee, and Jon grabbed him by the jersey and said, ‘Shut up and get in line to shake the other team's hand,’” Hall told USA Football.

Allen’s football stardom spilled out into his basketball career. At road games, fans asked for pictures and autographs. Then during the game, they’d taunt him—but West says Allen always took it in stride.

It was clear that Allen’s future was in football, but he did some things very well on the court. He was a very good rebounder who displayed great footwork in the post, West said.

It comes as no surprise that one of the traits NFL evaluators praised heading into the draft was Allen’s footwork.

Allen’s burgeoning football career hit a high note last week when he became the No. 17 selection to the Washington Redskins in the 2017 NFL Draft.

There’s little doubt his time as a basketball player helped shape his all-around development and contributed to where Allen is today.

“He just wanted to play basketball, be part of a team, compete, and improve as an athlete,” West said.

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