Former Chiefs DE Jared Allen among 25 semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Former Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen is among 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame modern-era Class of 2021, the Hall of Fame announced Tuesday.
Allen, a native of Dallas, originally entered the league in 2004 out of Idaho State as a fourth-round pick with the Chiefs. He spent the first four seasons of his career in Kansas City and quickly became a fan favorite.
From 2004 to 2007, Allen recorded 230 tackles and 43 sacks in a Chiefs uniform before being traded in April 2008 to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for first- and third-round picks, which the Chiefs used to select tackle Branden Albert and running back Jamaal Charles.
The 6-6, 265-pound Allen was a four-time All-Pro selection, the first nod coming during his final season with the Chiefs when he recorded 15.5 sacks.
With the Vikings, Allen flourished and received three more All-Pro selections and was named to the Pro Bowl four times. He totaled 329 tackles and 83.5 sacks in Minnesota before finishing out his career playing for the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers.
A feared defensive player off the edge, Allen appeared in 187 games (181 starts), totaling 136 sacks, 642 tackles (498 solo), 32 forced fumbles, 19 fumble recoveries, four safeties and six interceptions.
The next step in the selection process comes when the semifinalists are trimmed to 15 Modern-Era Finalists.
The 25 semifinalists, in alphabetical order:
- Eric Allen, CB – 1988-1994 Philadelphia Eagles, 1995-97 New Orleans Saints, 1998-2001 Oakland Raiders (Times as a semifinalist: 1 – 2021).
- Jared Allen, DE – 2004-07 Kansas City Chiefs, 2008-2013 Minnesota Vikings, 2014-15 Chicago Bears, 2015 Carolina Panthers (Times as a semifinalist: 1 – 2021).
- Willie Anderson, T – 1996-2007 Cincinnati Bengals, 2008 Baltimore Ravens (Times as a semifinalist: 1 – 2021).
- Ronde Barber, CB/S – 1997-2012 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Times as a semifinalist: 4 – 2018-2021).
- Cornelius Bennett, LB – 1987-1995 Buffalo Bills, 1996-98 Atlanta Falcons, 1999-2000 Indianapolis Colts (Times as a semifinalist: 1 – 2021).
- Tony Boselli, T – 1995-2001 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2002 Houston Texans (injured reserve) (Times as a semifinalist: 6 – 2016-2021).
- LeRoy Butler, S – 1990-2001 Green Bay Packers (Times as a Semifinalist: 4 – 2018-2021). Alan Faneca, G – 1998-2007 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2008-09 New York Jets, 2010 Arizona Cardinals (Times as a semifinalist: 6 – 2016-2021).
- Rodney Harrison, S – 1994-2002 San Diego Chargers, 2003-08 New England Patriots (Times as a semifinalist: 1 – 2021).
- Torry Holt, WR – 1999-2008 St. Louis Rams, 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars (Times as a semifinalist: 7 – 2015-2021).
- Calvin Johnson, WR – 2007-2015 Detroit Lions (Times as a semifinalist: 1 – 2021). John Lynch, FS – 1993-2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2004-07 Denver Broncos (Times as a semifinalist: 9 – 2013-2021).
- Peyton Manning, QB – 1998-2011 Indianapolis Colts (injured reserved 2011), 2012-15 Denver Broncos (Times as a semifinalist: 1 – 2021).
- Clay Matthews, LB – 1978-1993 Cleveland Browns, 1994-96 Atlanta Falcons | (Times as a semifinalist: 5 – 2012, 2017, 2019-2021).
- Sam Mills, LB – 1986-1994 New Orleans Saints, 1995-97 Carolina Panthers (Times as a semifinalist: 4 – 2016, 2019-2021).
- Richard Seymour, DE/DT – 2001-08 New England Patriots, 2009-2012 Oakland Raiders (Times as a semifinalist: 4 – 2018-2021).
- Steve Tasker, ST/WR – 1985-86 Houston Oilers, 1986-1997 Buffalo Bills (Times as a semifinalist: 8 – 2004, 2008-2010, 2012-13, 2020-21).
- Fred Taylor, RB – 1998-2008 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2009-2010 New England Patriots (Times as a semifinalist: 2 – 2020-21).
- Zach Thomas, LB – 1996-2007 Miami Dolphins, 2008 Dallas Cowboys (Times as a semifinalist: 3 – 2019-2021).
- Hines Ward, WR – 1998-2011 Pittsburgh Steelers (Times as a semifinalist: 5 – 2017-2021).
- Reggie Wayne, WR – 2001-2014 Indianapolis Colts (Times as a semifinalist: 2 – 2020-21).
- Patrick Willis, LB – 2007-2014 San Francisco 49ers (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2020-21).
- Charles Woodson, CB/S – 1998-2005, 2013-15 Oakland Raiders, 2006-2012 Green Bay Packers (Times as a semifinalist: 1 – 2021).
- Darren Woodson, S – 1992-2003 Dallas Cowboys (Times as a semifinalist: 5 – 2015, 2017, 2019-2021).
- Bryant Young, DT – 1994-2007 San Francisco 49ers (Times as a semifinalist: 2 – 2020-21).
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald contributed to this report.
This story was originally published November 24, 2020 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Former Chiefs DE Jared Allen among 25 semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame."
