It was always about the challenge for Eric Allen. He wanted to line up, one-on-one against the very best receiver on the other team. He wanted to be on the island, where the spotlight shined, for better or worse.
In a career that has landed him, after so many years playing on the island and then waiting for his name to be called, in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, Allen rarely had worse.
A second-round draft pick in 1988 of the Eagles and then-head coach Buddy Ryan, Allen was never the most ballyhooed member of the Gang Green defense, but there was nobody – not Reggie White, not Jerome Brown, not Seth Joyner – who was more respected for the way he prepared for the game.
For the way he prepared to be great.
And Allen was great. He played 14 seasons in the NFL, the first seven of them in Philadelphia where he made the Pro Bowl six times and was once (1989) named a first-team All-Pro player, and Allen was known for the many interceptions (34 of his 54 came during his time with the Eagles) and big plays with the ball in his hands after the interceptions (5 of his 8 interception returns for touchdowns happened with the Eagles), but Allen was far, far more than that.
“I wanted to be remembered as an all-around player, someone who worked hard, dedicated myself to the game and my teammates, and prepared to do whatever it took to win football games,” Allen said. “Going against the greatest receivers in the game was fun. I loved all of it.
“This whole thing has been awesome. I’m having a great time out here (in Canton) and I’m thankful for everything that has happened in my career, the support I’ve been given from my family, from my coaches, the fans, the organizations that I’ve played with. To have this journey, it’s just like football: You do your part and you surround yourself with great people and you all help each other.”
