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Vols' Jordan Allen, mother endure tough road to Rocky Top

Some people wait their whole life to meet their favorite football player. Lisa McGee raised hers: Vols newcomer Jordan Allen.

Some people wait their whole life to meet their favorite football player.

Lisa McGee raised hers: Jordan Allen, outside linebacker, junior college transfer, and one of the newest Tennessee Vols who took the field Saturday.

Both McGee and Allen have endured a tough road to get to Knoxville. Mother taught son all about strength, and vice versa.

McGee is a no-nonsense, no excuses kind of mother. A single parent, she had to play both nurturer and discipliner in their hometown of Fairfield, California.

"I was hard on him. Really hard on him," McGee said. "I would take away his phone for months if he had a bad grade. I said he couldn't go to prom if he had a bad grade, and I stuck with it. He didn't like it then, but he loves it now."

McGee still keeps up on her son's grades. He's faring just fine at UT, pursuing a political science degree he can earn in his three remaining years of playing eligibility.

The road to get to Rocky Top, however, was tough. Allen took 31 credits in the fall to earn his associate's degree from City College of San Francisco. The requirement for a full-time college student is 12 credit hours; taking more than 15 is somewhat uncommon.

In addition to almost triple the workload of an average student, Allen had five official visits to schools, ten games at a new position on defense, and no car - Lisa wouldn't let him take it to college.

All the while, he had to be strong for his mother. She was fighting cancer, one of several health battles Lisa had in her son's lifetime.

"The last time he saw me, I was on a hospital bed with 21 stitches," McGee said Friday, before the Orange & White Game. "He's the one assuring me, telling me to take it appointment by appointment. I wanted to be here to support him."

They need each other. They've been through tragedy together. McGee lost her daughter, Corey, when she was only four months old in 2002. Jordan had to bury his sister.

His motivation speaks for itself.

"I think it's me," McGee said. "I've had such a hard life. I think he just wants to make it easy."

McGee has more surgery coming up in May. Allen will be home in time to support her during her recovery; he'll also be walking during a graduation ceremony at City College.

It's uncertain when she'll return to Rocky Top. But she's confident she'll make as many games as she can. Her favorite player lives here.

"It'll be my first experience, of many," McGee said.

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