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Hall of Fame 2025: Wild man Jared Allen thought it time to start acting like a Christian
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- Hall of Fame 2025: Wild man Jared Allen thought it time to start acting like a Christian
The 2004 " Cleveland Browns draft pass" everyone remembers is Ben Roethlisberger.
Rather than taking the future star quarterback, the Browns ill-fatedly traded up from No. 7 overall to No. 6 to pick tight end Kellen Winslow Jr.
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Pittsburgh had the No. 11 pick and landed Roethlisberger, who spent his career tormenting Cleveland.
The "Browns draft pass" that went unnoticed happened in Round 4. Early in the round, Cleveland took quarterback Luke McCown, who became a career NFL backup. A bit later in the round, the Chiefs took defensive end Jared Allen , who is part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
On the field, from the beginning of a career that led to 136 sacks, Allen proved he was NFL material.
Early on he was an "off-field risk" who, as a junior, got kicked out of his high school in Morgan, California.
Jared Allen, a member of The Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2025, speaks during an event at the Hall, May 24, 2025.
Allen landed at Idaho State University, where average attendance for home games was about 6,000. The Bengals "played up" in scheduling Boise State his senior year and got clobbered 62-0, but they mostly won while playing an NCAA Division I-AA schedule.
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Allen wasn't a captain as a 2003 senior, but his head coach, Larry Lewis, said he took football more seriously than he had previously. Lewis liked that Allen, who was up for awards based on his sacks, became the best long snapper he ever saw.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 members Eric Allen and Jared Allen look over the "Class of 2025" exhibit displaying artifacts from their careers at the Hall, May 24, 2025.
A Sports Illustrated feature on Allen, published in 2010 when he was an established NFL star, presented his Idaho State days in this light:
"He remembers getting into fights just about every weekend. He picked up a DUI there. He was arrested for battery and twice charged with resisting arrest. He was thrown out of a game after punching an opponent in the face. He was also one hell of a football player."
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NFL scouts worried about the hell-raising. Among the 13 defensive ends drafted before him in 2004 were Ohio State's Will Smith (No. 18 overall), Hawaii's Travis LaBoy (No. 42), Ohio State's Darrion Scott (No. 88) and Georgia's Robert Geathers (No. 117).
Jared Allen, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2025, unveils his case in the "Class of 2025" exhibit displaying artifacts from his career at the Hall, May 24, 2025.
Allen (No. 126) soon got to the head of the class.
He made nine sacks as a Kansas City rookie working with position coach Carl "Big Daddy" Hairston. Hairston was a Browns defensive end in eight 1980s playoff games, including three AFC title games.
In his second season with Hairston, Allen made 11 sacks and led the NFL with six forced fumbles. The team went 10-6.
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Hairston, who also played college football off the beaten path, was a good fit for Allen. En route to almost 100 NFL sacks, "Big Daddy" entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick out of Maryland-Eastern Shore.
Allen's third season was underway when he was charged with driving under the influence for the second time in five months. He spent two days in jail. His punishment from the NFL came at the start of his fourth season, when he was suspended for two games and docked three game checks.
Kansas City's Jared Allen celebrates during a game at Buffalo, Nov. 13, 2005.
Allen did some soul searching. He gave Kansas City a league-best 15.5 sacks in 2007 despite losing the two games. The Chiefs put the franchise-player tag on him but didn't extend a long-term offer — General Manager Carl Peterson called Allen "a young man at risk."
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Minnesota 's head coach, Brad Childress, and a personnel staff that included Massillon's Rick Spielman became convinced Allen would keep his act together. The Vikings gave up a first-round pick and signed Allen to a six-year, $72.4 million contract.
Jared Allen, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 looks over his case in the ÒClass of 2025Ó exhibit with artifacts from his career during an event at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. May 24, 2025
When Allen left the Vikings after the 2013 season, Spielman went out of his way to say Allen was long past his wild-man days:
"Not only was Jared an outstanding player over his six seasons with the Vikings, he also helped change lives in our community through his charitable work. He'll always be a fan favorite, and we hope he stays involved with the Vikings franchise in years to come."
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During a May 24 visit to Canton in 2025, Allen shared a retrospective version of the change in his life.
Defensive end Jared Allen made the Pro Bowl five times in his 12 NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers. Usp Nfl Green Bay Packers At Minnesota Vikings S Fbn Usa Mn
"I grew up in the church," he said. "The change in me was just maturity, trying to live a life according to what you believe in.
"It was a lack of maturity. You get in trouble, you're trying to figure out, OK, if I believe in a certain set of core values, you've got to live up to those core values.
"For me, being a Christian, that was making sure Christ was in the forefront of my existence. If you ask the question, what would you be surprised people don't know about you?', It shouldn't be, 'I'm a Christian.'
Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 inductee Jared Allen speaks at a press conference following NFL Honors, Feb. 6, 2025, at Saenger Theatre, in New Orleans.
"I think you live a life that people see and say, there's something different about that person. What brings him joy? What brings him hope? For me, that's Christ.
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"I've never had that flashing, God moment, but I do think I've been taught very important lessons through my faith to stand on the values of what you believe in.
"I'm definitely not a minister. My prayer is always just to be available wherever I can be used."
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 (from left) Eric Allen, Jared Allen, Antonio Gates, and Sterling Sharpe pose for a photo during a press conference, Feb. 6, 2025, at the Saenger Theater in New Orleans.
Allen has been out of the game for nearly 10 years.
In 2014, he went to the Bears and replaced his favorite player, Julius Peppers .
The next year, he wound up with the Panthers , starting at right defensive end against Denver in Super Bowl 50. He put a quarterback hit on Peyton Manning , who looked ordinary in a defensive struggle won by the Broncos .
Carolina Panthers defensive end Jared Allen against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium, Feb. 7, 2016, in Santa Clara.
Allen amassed 105 sacks in his first eight NFL seasons, including 22 in his eighth year. By way of comparison, Myles Garrett has given the Browns 102.5 sacks through his first eight NFL seasons.
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He never won an NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. In the season he most deserved it, with his 22 sacks in 2011, his Vikings went 3-13. Terrell Suggs won the award with 14 sacks largely because his team, Baltimore , went 12-4.
Allen placed fifth for defensive player of the year in 2009, behind defensive backs Charles Woodson , Darrelle Revis and Darren Sharper and edge rusher Elvis Dumervil . The Vikings went 12-4 that year, with Brett Favre at quarterback.
Favre retired after the season but came back anyway.
"I was the one guy who told him, 'Stay retired,'" Allen said later.
Allen loved the playoffs, even though that's not what got him to Canton. He went to five postseasons on teams that went 2-5.
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Browns fans may have a hard time picturing Allen. He faced Cleveland only three times, with no sacks.
Allen had a wait, but not a terribly long one, to make the Hall of Fame. He became eligible in 2021.
According to Pro Football Reference, Allen's 136 sacks are 16th all-time, behind Bruce Smith (200), Reggie White (198), Deacon Jones (173.5), Kevin Greene (160.0), Julius Peppers (159.5), Jack Youngblood (151.5), Chris Doleman (150.5), Alan Page (148.5), Lawrence Taylor (142.0), Michael Strahan (141.5), Jason Taylor (139.5), Terrell Suggs (139.0), DeMarcus Ware (138.5), Richard Dent (137.5) and John Randle (137.5).
Edge rushers Peppers and Dwight Freeney (125.5) were part of the Hall of Fame's Class of 2024.
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The day he announced his retirement, Allen posted a retirement picture of himself on a horse, riding into a sunset. Now he rides into Canton.
Reach Steve at steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Jared Allen sacked way to Pro Football Hall of Fame after draft snub
