Steelers CB Cortez Allen: From project pick to starter in one year's time?

Cortez Allen's education at The Citadel might be indirectly aiding in his cause to unseat a teammate as the Pittsburgh Steelers' starting left cornerback to open the season.

Entering his second year, Allen is all but penciled in as being -- at the very least -- the Steelers' nickel cornerback. He has shown signs he's on his way to perhaps beating out Keenan Lewis in the competition for who starts in the spot vacated by the departure of William Gay in free agency.

"I don't take much for granted, and I'm no stranger to hard work," Allen said. "Coming from a small school, a military school, you learn how to appreciate the smaller things in life. And every day I'm out here working, I take that into account that it's a blessing just coming from that situation, so I give everything I've got into everything I do."

Allen didn't play high school football until his senior year, a fact that helped contribute to him playing at The Citadel instead of a bigger Division I football powerhouse. His 4.4 speed and 6-foot-1, 196-pound size suggest a package that would have scouts drooling.

After completing a career in which he was named second-team all-Southern Conference at The Citadel, Allen was taken by the Steelers in the fourth round of the 2011 draft. He was the second cornerback the team took that draft weekend, and his small-school background combined with the fact he was relatively new to organized football made him out to be something of a project pick.

Then, Allen was injured (hamstring) throughout much of his rookie training camp, making it even more unlikely he would contribute quickly in the NFL. But by the end of the season, he had crept his way to Pittsburgh's defensive back depth chart to the point he was playing extensively in the nickel and dime packages.

Allen showed enough promise that the Steelers didn't go out of their way to make sure they retained Gay, who signed with the Arizona Cardinals. Pittsburgh also did not sign another veteran cornerback and did not draft one until the latter portions of the seventh round. Clearly, the organization had faith in Lewis and Allen to hold down positions.

"This year I came into camp healthy, and going through [last season's injury], I know how to better take care of my body so that doesn't happen," Allen said. "And I have more knowledge of the game. I've got some defensive experience last year, and with the offseason I had I was just able to build on everything."

Entering his fourth season, Lewis is considered the incumbent to win the left cornerback starting job, and he probably has to do more to "lose" it than Allen can to "win" it. And with three- and even four-receiver sets increasingly common in today's NFL, the nickel back is on the field more often than not anyway.

Either way, through Allen's performance in training camp practices and during the preseason opener at Philadelphia, he's showing signs he's going to be a reliable NFL defensive back for years to come.

"I really don't get into the whole 'battle' thing, just if I can get better every day. ... I feel like that's the approach I take," Allen said. "The whole competition, I feel like as long as I work hard, it will take carte of itself."

Kind of just like making it through four years of military college training.

Follow Steelers reporter Chris Adamski on Twitter @CBSSportsNFLPIT and @BuzzsawPGH.