Allen attended Missoula County High School in Missoula and was a standout high school athlete in football, basketball, and track. He accepted a scholarship to play college football at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Utah was a member of the Skyline Conference, and soon to be a charter member of the WAC in 1962. As a quarterback and cornerback, he led the Utes to a 32-6 victory over West Virginia in the 1964 Liberty Bowl and was named the game's most valuable player. Professionally, Allen played three seasons in the Canadian Football League with the British Columbia Lions and Edmonton Eskimos.