Good Works
Michael Allen, Full-Time MBA
Michael Allen spent this past May on an NFL practice field working with the secondary instead of playing in it. His coaching internship with the Seattle Seahawks during rookie minicamp put him alongside the defensive staff, helping prepare practice and stepping in to coach the safeties.
The rest of the summer he spent with Baylor Athletics on the operations side, assisting the chief of staff at Baylor Football with event planning, coaching operations and summer camp logistics.
After years in football as a player, Michael was finally seeing the sport from the side nobody in the stands experiences.
"It was extremely eye-opening, as most of the time you do not see all the work that goes on behind the scenes," Michael said. "Football is a huge industry, and there are several moving pieces within the organizations. Communication is vital, and you must be able to adapt as scheduling in this profession is ever-changing."
Both roles trace back to the same program. Michael believes his time in the Baylor early-career, Full-Time MBA helped his resume stand out when applying with the Seattle Seahawks.
"The MBA program also did an incredible job equipping me with the business knowledge that served me well in my operations internship," he said.
The Classroom Version of a Locker Room
Michael had been leading teammates for years before a course in Organizational Behavior gave him language for it.
"I believe leading people must start with building a relationship first," he said. "Understanding incentives and what drives people is something that any good manager must know."
Several professors come up when Michael talks about what has stayed with him. He points to the mental frameworks Dr. Erik Davidson taught through the lens of risk and reward, and to Dr. Jason Macgregor's presentation feedback and strategies, which he calls lessons he will carry for the rest of his life. A principle from Dr. Steve Green has stayed with him, too.
"Dr. Green's line that 'incentives matter' is one that I will always remember when leading people," he said.
Competing in the case competition in Dr. Allison Alford's Management Communication class ranks among his favorite moments in the program. But ultimately, the people rank first.
"Getting to meet incredible students and professors has been the highlight of my MBA experience thus far," Michael said.
He has a short answer for any student-athlete who assumes the schedule makes it impossible.
"There is always a way," he said. "Understanding the time commitment before applying is necessary, but the program does an incredible job at working with student-athlete schedules. You will meet friends and mentors for life and push yourself intellectually in ways that will pay dividends in the future."
Why He Stayed
Michael arrived at his MBA decision with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Management degree from Baylor already in hand.
"In terms of career ambitions, I just wanted to be the best I could possibly be," he said. "I learned a great deal during my undergraduate time at Baylor, but I felt I could still grow in applying that knowledge in business settings."
People close to him pointed him toward Baylor’s early career program. So did the campus itself.
"Baylor is an incredibly special place, and I felt as if my time here was not done yet," Michael said. "The ability to challenge myself intellectually, grow as a presenter and meet like-minded individuals intrigued me to apply to the Full-Time MBA program."
Four Years of Fundraising
Michael has been part of Baylor's chapter of Uplifting Athletes for four years and has served as president for the past three. The organization uses sport to raise money and awareness for the rare disease community, and the chapter has brought in more than $10,000 over that span.
Michael knew what a rare disease looked like before he ever heard of Uplifting Athletes.
"One of my friends growing up had muscular dystrophy," Michael said. "This was classified as a rare genetic disease, and there was no cure for it. He passed away when I was in high school."
He first heard about Uplifting Athletes as a freshman at Baylor.
"I loved everything that it stands for," he said. "It harnesses the power of sport to raise money and awareness for those affected by rare diseases, just like my friend Maddox."
In September, Michael was named to the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, one of only 11 FBS players selected. Those 11 make up the semifinalist field for the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy, college football's top award for community service. He was also named a semifinalist for the 2026 William V. Campbell Trophy, college football's premier scholar-athlete award, as one of a record 206 players nationally and one of 95 from the FBS. On top of that, he landed on the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year watch list, one of 89 candidates nominated nationally for an award built around leadership, courage and sportsmanship.
When asked what the honors meant, Michael pointed away from himself.
"It makes me think of all the people who have helped me get to where I am today," Michael said. "I am a product of countless individuals who have believed in me and provided me with opportunities to chase my dreams. Being able to steward that opportunity and give back to the community that has given me so much has been an honor."
Service, as he describes it, is not a one-way exchange.
"The person serving often gets more out of the experience than the one being served," he said. "I have certainly experienced that and have been incredibly thankful for the service opportunities that Baylor and Baylor Athletics have extended."
Michael, recently named one of Baylor Football's 2026 captains, returns to Matthew 20:28 as the verse he tries to live by – “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.”
What Grounds Him
Faith has carried both halves of Michael's time at Baylor, and Baylor has returned the favor.
"Baylor has given me incredible spiritual mentors who have poured into my development as a believer," he said. "I was baptized through the player-led football Bible study my junior year."
That foundation steadies him when the demands of both pile up.
"When football and school can become overwhelming, my faith grounds me and allows me to perform for a greater purpose," Michael said.
Balancing the two has been a years-long adjustment.
"Being able to learn how to prioritize and be efficient with time is going to serve me well over my career," he said. "I am a believer that adversity is a great teacher. Whether it be injuries, losses, or a difficult project or test, there have been countless learning opportunities over the years through both football and the MBA program."
