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PITTSBURGH -- Willie James Allen was relaxing at home last Monday night. After a meal, he reviewed materials for the Will Allen Foundations Holiday Giving Program.Then he checked his phone, and the nightmare that began in April 2015 resurfaced. At least 10 messages from friends and family were alerting him that the case of mistaken identity had returned.The former NFL safety saw his playing picture plastered across the Internet next to headlines that said Will Allen was the perpetrator of a wide-ranging Ponzi scheme and had swindled many people, including former athletes, out of millions of dollars.And just like in 2015, his stricken mom was incredulous, asking him how this could happen. She was one of the first to call.And then came the hateful Twitter messages from people telling him to do your time and quit being a criminal, Allen recalled.Allen tried not to panic but admits he was devastated. The whole ordeal felt like a gut kick, he said. His stomach was uneasy. He didnt know what to say. Eventually, he prayed for guidance.Thats what makes it so difficult -- to question my character, Allen, 34, told ESPN.The man who pleaded guilty to federal fraud, conspiracy and money laundering charges is Will D. Allen, the 2001 first-round pick of the New York Giants who also played for the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. The non-criminal Allen was drafted in the fourth round in 2004 by the Tampa Bay Bucs and also played for the Dallas Cowboys and -- most recently -- the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2013 to 15.When the Ponzi story broke in April 2015, Allen estimates that more than a dozen media outlets used his image to accompany the headlines. As a result, Allen paid lawyers enough to handle various cease-and-desist letters.But when several outlets, including ESPN, featured a picture of Allen the former Steeler with its headline last week, on Nov. 21, Allen decided to sleep on the issue after saying a prayer -- and then he took a few steps to correct it. He took to Twitter to highlight the misidentification and the damage done to his reputation. He posted several pictures of himself doing community work with the message, This is who I am!! Not a criminal!!He also consulted a public relations expert on damage control. He called a few people he trusts for advice.Knowing the problem might consume him if he let it, Allen used last Tuesday to attend foundation meetings and prep for Thanksgiving. In his home, Allen was in charge of deep-frying the turkey and making the greens, for which he has a top-secret Cajun recipe. He marinated the turkey with creole butter sauce well in advance, and then greased it with peanut oil.The widespread misinformation kind of crushed me, Allen said. His life is nothing like the other Allens, yet many wont know the difference.You get all the negativity and [people] can say whatever -- I cant really do anything about that, Allen said. You kind of have to stop and pause for a minute. ... But theres no telling who reads that and how they perceive it. Were in a society where its largely about perception.Allen can handle probes from friends who knew he didnt commit those crimes. But he has also had to quell a few concerns on the foundation trail over the last 18 months, forcing him to explain things anytime someone asks if hes that guy.The Will Allen Foundations latest project is raising $30,000 for gifts for underprivileged children in Pittsburgh, where Allen still lives. The foundation aims to provide programs and resources in an effort to instill hope, remove barriers, promote education, advocate civic responsibility, and change lives in the community. Allen works on his foundation throughout the year and makes public or corporate speaking appearances. Hes staying in shape in case an NFL team calls.Through this process, Allen has learned that some people have no filter. They have jokes, too. When someone broaches the story, Allen politely clarifies. Staying measured is important to him.Ive had to answer a lot of questions, Allen said. Ive tried to do all I can to move on from that.Allen lives downtown with his wife, who tries to calm him but is upset, too. Recently Allen asked out loud around the house, Oh my goodness, what can I do? And heres the thing: Sentencing is scheduled for February. That could produce more headlines.I just want them to get it right, Allen said of media outlets. It would have been easy to look back at 2015 and know what happened.Allen still wants to play football. He tried out for the Giants in October but understands a return might not happen. If its over, Allens career ended on a strong note -- 13 starts, 80 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception in 13 starts with the Steelers in 2015. The franchise got younger at safety and opted not to re-sign Allen.Talking football prompts Allens one memory of an interaction with the other Allen. Before a game, Willie once approached Will with a joke. Will the real Will Allen please stand up? Willie James Allen said. Joe Maddon Jersey . The giant slalom world champion slipped during her first run in the morning, landing on her back and then twisting forward before getting her leg caught in the protective material on the side of the slope. Charlie Morton Jersey . 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Miguel Cotto the promoter has been busy with his promotional company signing young Puerto Rican boxing talent and making a foray into concert promoting.Cotto the future Hall of Fame boxer has been a lot less busy.At 35, Cotto is in the twilight of his career, during which he came out of the 2000 Olympics to become one of the sports biggest and most exciting stars as well as the first Puerto Rican fighter to win world titles in four weight divisions (junior welterweight, welterweight, junior middleweight and middleweight).In recent years, however, Cotto (40-5, 33 KOs) has picked his spots to fight. He boxed only once in 2013 (following a 10-month layoff), once in 2014 (when he knocked out Sergio Martinez to win the middleweight crown) and twice in 2015, returning from a year layoff to stop Daniel Geale in a middleweight title defense and then losing a decision and the title to Canelo Alvarez in their huge fight in November 2015.Since then there has been much discussion about Cottos next move. He and promoter Roc Nation Sports talked at length about a fight in the second half of this year. There were negotiations with Mexican star Juan Manuel Marquez, also a four-division titleholder, for a major pay-per-view fight, but Marquez is a smaller man and they could not agree on a catch weight acceptable to both fighters.Then there were conversations with HBO about a fight with former junior welterweight titlist and welterweight contender Lamont Peterson on Dec. 3 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. But nothing was ever finalized with one issue being that the date was too close to the Nov. 19 fight Roc Nation Sports is co-promoting between its other star fighter, Andre Ward, and unified light heavyweight titleholder Sergey Kovalev.So for the first time since his 2001 pro debut, Cotto will go through a calendar year without a ring appearance.We have had several conversations with Roc Nation about where Miguel is at and what he wants to do. Everything is good but with different circumstances he decided not to fight in 2016, Bryan Perez, a Miguel Cotto Promotions executive and Cottos close friend, told ESPN. We had different conversations about fighting in December but we decided not to fight and do it in the first part of 2017, between February or March.According to Perez, Cottos next fight will be the last one of the three-fight deal he signed with Roc Nation Sports in March 2015. While many have speculated that would likely be the final fight of Cottos career -- he has said he is looking ahead to life after the boxing ring -- Perez said it probably wont be.The next fight is the last fight on the agreement we signed in 2015 but Miguel feels healthy and good and wants to continue fighting, Perez said. He has the last word and will decide what to do and what his plan will be but he says he wants to continue to fight and to explore facing the best names out there and getting the best guarantee (in terms of money). He will fight twice in 2017.Although Cotto won the middleweight titlle, he fought below the division limit of 160 in all three of his title fights (155 and 153 twice).dddddddddddd The mid-to-low 150s is where he intends to fight next.He will be comfortable fighting below 160, but whatever opportunities pop up and whatever fight is the best guarantee and benefits his career he will consider, Perez said. We will wait to see.Obviously, he is not going to go to welterweight.Perez said Peterson (34-3-1, 17 KOs), 32, of Washington, D.C., remains a possible opponent. Peterson has not fought since last October.Lamont Peterson is a former world champion, a great fighter and it would be a great fight but not a pay-per-view fight. But I think its a fight that could get done, Perez said, adding that even though Peterson is aligned with adviser Al Haymon it would not prevent a deal being made with Roc Nation Sports, which is owned by music star Jay Z, a longtime rival of Haymons.A far more intriguing bout would be against former welterweight and junior welterweight titleholder Timothy Bradley Jr. (33-2-1, 13 KOs), 33, of Palm Springs, California. Bradley has voiced interest in moving up to face Cotto.Thats one of the fights Tim would like before he is done with his career, Monica Bradley, his wife and manager told ESPN in August when he re-signed with promoter Top Rank.Said Perez: Bradley is a huge fight, a great fight to make. Its a great fight for the fans, a good style fight. Miguel is always willing to fight the best and if Bradley is there and available and we can agree on terms, we are more than happy to put them in the ring.That fight would entail Cottos camp co-promoting with Top Rank, which promoted Cotto for most of his career until he left to sign with Roc Nation Sports after saying he would never leave the company. It was a move that deeply disappointed Top Rank president Todd duBoef, who recruited Cotto out of the Olympics and grew very close to him through the years.We ended our business relationship with Top Rank but if theres a fight we can work on together we will work together, no problem, Perez said. We had a great relationship with Top Rank and we like and respect Bob [Arum] and Todd. I think Bradley would be a huge fight and a great fight.When asked for his view of the possible fight, duBoef was not overly enthusiastic and not anxious to go down that road. But he said he would acquiesce to his fighter.If its a fight that Tim Bradley and Monica want, I would discuss it, duBoef said.Regardless of when Cotto returns, at what weight and against which opponent, he will be back soon training with Hall of Famer Freddie Roach and looking for the biggest fight that can be made.This is the first time he had a layoff like this, Perez said. But at this point in his career its good for him. Hes been moving around in the gym to maintain his condition but its good for him to get the rest. But he is ready to fight again. ' ' '