Two-Time Indiana Football Captain Terry Tallen the Gift That Keeps on Giving

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. —Two-time Indiana soccer captain, defensive standout, philanthropist and Kelley Faculty of Enterprise alumnus Terry Tallen is aware of what it’s wish to obtain a scholarship to Indiana College to play the sport he loves on the highest stage.

The larger Cincinnati native earned a scholarship in 1977 that will propel him right into a extremely profitable faculty soccer profession for 4 seasons at Indiana, however much more importantly, it set the stage to get the training he wanted to have a profitable profession in industrial actual property.

All of that success has allowed him to offer again to the college he loves.

Forty-plus years later, the longstanding California resident discovered himself again on his previous turf to obtain probably the most prestigious awards the college bestows, the cherished Laurel Pin Conferral Award introduced by Indiana College president Pamela Whitten and IU Basis CEO and president J.T. Forbes on Saturday night time throughout an occasion on the IU Auditorium.

The Laurel Pin honors probably the most beneficiant philanthropists and their important presents to Indiana. The Laurel Pin recipients’ beneficiant giving makes an amazing establishment of upper training even higher. 

Fred Glass, the previous Indiana vice chairman and director of athletics and creator of the favored half autobiography and half oral historical past of Indiana College, ‘Making Your Luck,’ mentioned Tallen is barely the second soccer alumnus to obtain this award.

“There’s no one who’s completed extra as a scholar, athlete and monetary supporter of IU soccer,” Glass mentioned. “Folks have to see it earlier than they are often it, and once they see Terry step up and do this, I feel it may possibly and has impressed athletes to do the identical.”

Humbled by the Laurel Pin honor, Tallen credit his success and talent to donate funds to his time spent as a Hoosier, the Kelly Enterprise faculty training and loads of onerous work.

“To come back right here to Indiana and be on this place some 40 years later, it’s very gratifying,” Tallen mentioned. “I’m residing proof of what one may obtain with an IU training, a powerful work ethic and slightly success. Largely, the nice fortune is because of the life-long relationships and friendships established with IU management, college, coaches, teammates and fellow college students at IU.

“The contributions that I’ve made to Indiana College through the years had been completed with love, and so they had been completely intentional with the target of being inspirational in addition to aspirational for previous, current and future IU scholar athletes to not solely pay it again, however pay it ahead to future generations of Indiana College student-athletes no matter sport.”

In 2019, Tallen struck a cope with Glass and present athletic director Scott Dolson and donated $2 million to construct a 25,000 square-foot soccer complicated located beneath the west stands of Memorial Stadium.

“It’s important to have an amazing locker room,” Tallen mentioned. “It’s important to have all of the bells and whistles within the locker room. We’re aggressive in all issues. Within the hyper-competitive world of main faculty soccer recruiting, it’s essential to have the easiest services and now we have achieved this goal. Our athletic services are second to none.”

Sure, the complicated is full with a barber store the place gamers are recognized to chop one another’s hair. The store, together with the remainder of the locker room house, is known as the Terry Tallen Indiana Soccer Advanced in honor of his beneficiant donation.

“One of many best private rewards to me was seeing the video when the gamers, our nice coach Tom Allen and Fred Glass entered the ability and so they noticed it first opened and able to go,” Tallen mentioned. “The passion was extraordinary. It actually touched my coronary heart.”

Indiana soccer coach Tom Allen mentioned that previous, current and future athletes are reaping the advantages of the state-of-the-art facility giving athletes one more reason to go to IU.

“They had been simply thrilled,” Allen mentioned. “Once they obtained to see the completed product, they went nuts. It’s firstclass. We convey recruits in there, their mother and father in there. They’re similar to ‘wow.’”

Tallen’s philanthropic contributions don’t finish there. Since 2008, Tallen has sponsored an annual scholarship, The Terry Tallen Soccer Management Scholarship granted to a deserving soccer staff captain enrolled within the Kelley Faculty of Enterprise who demonstrates management on and off the sector.

Linebacker Micah McFadden, the newest scholarship winner, was simply chosen by the New York Giants on Saturday within the fifth spherical of the 2022 NFL Draft. Former scholarship recipients Wes Martin and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine are additionally taking part in professionally. 

Nonetheless, he offers extra than simply cash. He additionally devotes lots of time to assist college students as properly. Tallen typically visits the Kelley Faculty of Enterprise as a visitor lecturer within the Actual Property Faculty. He’s a profitable lengthy standing industrial actual property investor and developer, public speaker and philanthropist at all times prepared to offer enterprise college students recommendation.

Allen is thrilled to point out his gamers what an Indiana soccer alumnus can do lengthy after hanging up the cleats following that remaining sport.

”They’ll see his success that he’s had in life from knowledgeable perspective,” Allen mentioned. “You’ll be able to see him be capable of articulate the imaginative and prescient he had for with the ability to give again and what he skilled when he was right here at Indiana and the way a lot it benefitted him.”

Allen mentioned he sees Tallen in a few of his present gamers, younger males who exemplify intelligence, toughness and dependability.

“We wish to have a full staff stuffed with Terry Tallens,” Allen mentioned.

However this didn’t occur in a single day. It really began off fairly tough for Indiana soccer within the Seventies. On the time, present-day ESPN School GameDay broadcaster Lee Corso was the coach. He took over in 1973 and was keen to construct up a powerful staff of leaders.

When Tallen was recruited by Corso as a freshman in 1977, the Hoosiers completed with a 5-5 season file. The following 12 months was worse at 4-7, however the staff by no means wavered and solely obtained stronger beneath Corso’s management.

Tallen, a beginning nostril deal with and center linebacker, was a formidable defender and Corso noticed an amazing chief in him from the day he recruited Tallen.

“He introduced that sort of mentality, a hardworking, robust, robust chief on and off the sector,” Corso mentioned this week from his dwelling in Florida. “You can inform instantly he was going to be an amazing success in life.”

Corso added that Tallen was sensible on and off the sector, utilizing his robust soccer IQ to arrange the protection many occasions. The standard that the majority impressed Corso although was his aggression on the sector and his velocity.

Terry laughed at the concept Corso and his teammates thought he was quick.

“Keep in mind what they used to say about me, Coach?” Tallen requested. “I had misleading velocity … I used to be slower than I appeared.”

Corso chuckled and mentioned, “Properly, they by no means informed me that.”

Tallen’s tenacity led him to be elected captain for each his junior and senior seasons. In 1979, the Hoosiers noticed main enchancment with an 8-4 file. The journey to the postseason for the 1979 Vacation Bowl was much more exhilarating.

“There was one thing about that staff,” Tallen mentioned. “We at all times anticipated to get higher, anticipated to play more durable, and we at all times anticipated to win, and that’s what we had been in a position to convey dwelling in December of 1979. We had been a household within the truest sense and we nonetheless are in the present day. Largely to the numerous contributions by our nice teammate and IU Assistant Athletic Director Mark Deal.”

Tallen discovered himself co-captaining a Hoosiers staff that will take down a robust Brigham Younger College staff 38-37 within the Vacation Bowl in San Diego, Calif.

“It was a see-saw sport,” Tallen mentioned. “Brigham Younger was undefeated coming into the sport. They had been 11-0, and Tenth-ranked within the nation. They very a lot anticipated to beat us, and we very a lot anticipated to beat them. We all know how that labored out!”

Forty-two years later, Corso and Tallen are nonetheless shut. The pair are having lunch collectively this Could in Florida.

“He’s not solely my ex-college soccer coach,” Tallen mentioned. “He’s my lifelong pal.”

Corso mentioned he at all times knew Tallen would achieve success after soccer. He recalled that regardless of how unhealthy issues had been going, Tallen and his teammates stored shifting ahead. Corso wasn’t one ounce stunned that Tallen has chosen to offer again to the place that formed him into the person he’s in the present day.

“His loyalty was to Indiana and all of his fellow teammates,” Corso mentioned. “He was well-respected by all the blokes, and we knew one factor, that every time he was profitable, he would give again to Indiana as a result of he’s that sort of man.”

Tallen accepted his Laurel Pin in a black-tie ceremony on Saturday night time in Bloomington, thrilled to return to his previous but acquainted Cream and Crimson dwelling.

“I’m pleased with you Terry,” Corso mentioned. “I’m pleased with you.”

Musician John Mellencamp was additionally honored with a Laurel Pin on Saturday night time. Mellencamp additionally entertained the group with a number of of his hit songs, a lot to the delight of the recipients, college students and school.

Tallen hopes his many donations and presents will resonate with present and future gamers all through all 24 IU sports activities and encourage them to offer again to their alma mater as properly.

“With an Indiana College training and a powerful work ethic, one can obtain something on this world” Tallen mentioned. “I’m deeply grateful to President Pamela Whitten and the IU Basis for this recognition.”