No. 21 | |||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
Born: | San Diego, California, U.S. | November 22, 1965||||||||||||||||||
Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||||||||
Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||||||
High school: | Point Loma (San Diego, California) | ||||||||||||||||||
College: | Arizona State | ||||||||||||||||||
NFL draft: | 1988 / round: 2 / pick: 30 | ||||||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||||||
As a player: | |||||||||||||||||||
As a coach: | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||||||
|
Eric Andre Allen (born November 22, 1965) is an American former football cornerback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, and Oakland Raiders from 1988 to 2001. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Allen retired after the 2001 season and is currently an NFL analyst for Pac-12 Networks. In his NFL career, he recorded 54 interceptions for 826 yards and eight touchdowns, while also recovering seven fumbles. His 54 interceptions is tied for 21st in NFL history. [1]
In 2019, he served as the defensive backs coach for the San Diego Fleet of the Alliance of American Football (AAF). [2] [3]
Allen played high school football at Point Loma High School under legendary coach Bennie Edens.
Allen played college football at Arizona State University.
Allen was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1988 NFL draft. [4]
Allen played seven seasons for the Eagles, three seasons for the New Orleans Saints, and four seasons for the Oakland Raiders. While with the Eagles he was a very popular player with the "Gang Green" Defense, playing with NFL greats Reggie White, Seth Joyner, Jerome Brown, Clyde Simmons, Andre Waters, Byron Evans, Mike Pitts, and Wes Hopkins. He is the only NFL player to run back three or more interceptions for scores in two separate seasons.
One of Allen's most memorable plays occurred October 3, 1993, in a game against the New York Jets. Having lost their starting quarterback (Randall Cunningham) to a fractured fibula early in the contest, the Eagles found themselves trailing the Jets by two points late in the 4th quarter as the Jets drove downfield for what would likely be the game's final points. Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason attempted to throw for a first down inside the Eagles 10-yard line as Allen stepped in front of the intended receiver at the 6-yard line. [5] The ensuing 94-yard touchdown return was declared "Greatest Interception Return in NFL History" by Steve Sabol of NFL Films.
After several successful and injury-free seasons at Philadelphia and New Orleans, Allen blew out his knee during the 1998 season on November 15 while playing for the Oakland Raiders against the Seattle Seahawks and missed the rest of that season. But he came back strong in 2000 and had a season to remember, with six interceptions, including a team-record three for touchdowns. His teammates honored him with the first annual Eric Turner award for the Raiders' most outstanding defensive player. The award was created in the memory of the Oakland free safety who died of abdominal cancer in May 2000.
Through the 2001 season, Allen played in 216 of a possible 224 games.
In 2009, Allen also was inducted by the San Diego Hall of Champions into the Breitbard Hall of Fame honoring San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface. [6]
Legend | |
---|---|
Led the league | |
Bold | Career high |
Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PD | FF | FR | ||
1988 | PHI | 16 | 16 | 65 | — | — | 0.0 | 5 | 76 | 15.2 | 21 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
1989 | PHI | 15 | 15 | 48 | — | — | 0.0 | 8 | 38 | 4.8 | 18 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
1990 | PHI | 16 | 15 | 63 | — | — | 0.0 | 3 | 37 | 12.3 | 35 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 |
1991 | PHI | 16 | 16 | 39 | — | — | 0.0 | 5 | 20 | 4.0 | 8 | 0 | — | 0 | 1 |
1992 | PHI | 16 | 16 | 72 | — | — | 0.0 | 4 | 49 | 12.2 | 36 | 0 | — | 0 | 2 |
1993 | PHI | 16 | 16 | 64 | 52 | 6 | 2.0 | 6 | 201 | 33.5 | 94 | 4 | 17 | 3 | 0 |
1994 | PHI | 16 | 16 | 57 | 46 | 11 | 0.0 | 3 | 61 | 20.3 | 33 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 1 |
1995 | NO | 16 | 16 | 59 | 44 | 14 | 0.0 | 2 | 28 | 14.0 | 28 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
1996 | NO | 16 | 16 | 51 | 48 | 3 | 0.0 | 1 | 33 | 33.0 | 33 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 |
1997 | NO | 16 | 16 | 50 | 45 | 5 | 0.0 | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 27 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
1998 | OAK | 10 | 10 | 35 | 33 | 2 | 0.0 | 5 | 59 | 11.8 | 22 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
1999 | OAK | 16 | 16 | 61 | 52 | 9 | 0.0 | 3 | 33 | 11.0 | 31 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 1 |
2000 | OAK | 16 | 15 | 68 | 62 | 6 | 1.0 | 6 | 145 | 24.2 | 50 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
2001 | OAK | 15 | 14 | 55 | 49 | 6 | 0.0 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | 19 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 1 |
Career | 216 | 213 | 787 | 431 | 62 | 3.0 | 54 | 826 | 16.3 | 94 | 8 | 120 | 5 | 6 |
Allen joined ESPN in August 2002 as an NFL studio analyst. Allen primarily appears on ESPN's "Sportscenter" as an NFL analyst.
Allen has had appearances as a college football analyst on the Pac-12 Networks football shows, as well as for the station's flagship show "Sports Report" as a football analyst.
On December 19, 2018, Allen was named defensive backs coach for the San Diego Fleet of the Alliance of American Football. [7]
He now lives in San Diego, California with his wife Lynn Allen, with whom he has four children.[ citation needed ]
Super Bowl XV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Oakland Raiders and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1980 season. The Raiders defeated the Eagles by the score of 27–10, becoming the first wild card playoff team to win a Super Bowl.
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Oakland Raiders and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2002 season. The Buccaneers defeated the Raiders by the score of 48–21, tied with Super Bowl XXXV for the seventh-largest Super Bowl margin of victory, winning their first-ever Super Bowl. The game was played on January 26, 2003, at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California.
David Lee Grayson was an American professional football cornerback and safety who played in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Texans / Kansas City Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders. He played college football for the Oregon Webfoots.
Roderick Kevin Woodson is an American former professional football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Widely considered one of the greatest cornerbacks of all time, Woodson holds the NFL record for fumble recoveries (32) by a defensive player, and interceptions returned for touchdown (12). He was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1993.
In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team but caught or otherwise brought under control by a player of the opposing team, who thereby usually gains possession of the ball for their team. It is commonly seen in football, including American and Canadian football, as well as association football, rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, as well as any sport by which a loose object is passed between players toward a goal. In basketball, this is called a steal.
LaMont Damon Jordan is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins and was selected by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft. Jordan also played in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots and Denver Broncos. After his playing career, he was the running backs coach for the San Diego Fleet of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) in 2019.
Herman Edwards Jr. is an American football coach and former player. He played cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. Edwards was also a head coach in the NFL from 2001 to 2008 with the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs. Following the conclusion of his NFL coaching career, Edwards was a football analyst at ESPN from 2009 to 2017. He later served as the head coach of Arizona State Sun Devils from 2018 to 2022.
William Ferdie Brown was an American professional football player, coach and administrator. He played as a cornerback for the Denver Broncos and the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League (AFL) and later in the National Football League (NFL). Following his playing career, Brown remained with the Raiders as an assistant coach. He served as the head football coach at California State University, Long Beach in 1991, the final season before the school's football program was terminated. Brown was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1984. At the time of his death he was on the Raiders' administrative staff.
DeAngelo Eugene Hall is an American professional football coach and former player who was a defensive back for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies and was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the eighth overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft. Hall played half a season for the Oakland Raiders before being released and signed by the Washington Redskins in 2008, playing for them until retiring following the 2017 season. He was a cornerback for the majority of his career before playing at free safety during his last few seasons.
Lito Decorian Sheppard is an American football coach and former player. During his playing career as cornerback, he played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 2002 NFL draft after playing college football for the Florida Gators. He played for the Eagles for seven seasons, and was selected to the Pro Bowl twice. He also played for the NFL's New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings, and Oakland Raiders. As a coach, he was the safeties coach for the Orlando Apollos of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) in 2019.
Cris Edward Dishman is an American football coach and former cornerback. He is the 18th head football coach for Texas Southern University, a position he has held since 2024. He played for the Houston Oilers, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Washington Redskins during his thirteen-year career from 1988 to 2000 in the National Football League (NFL).
Antonio Cromartie Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles and was selected in the first round by the San Diego Chargers in the 2006 NFL draft. He was selected to four Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro in 2007 after leading the league in interceptions. He also played for the Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts. Cromartie holds the record for the longest scoring play in NFL history after returning a missed field goal 109 yards for a touchdown in 2007. After his playing career, he was a graduate assistant for the Texas A&M Aggies.
The 2006 Oakland Raiders season was the franchise's 37th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 47th overall, the 12th back in Oakland, and the only under head coach Art Shell. They failed to improve on their 4–12 record from 2005, and ended with the Raiders having a 2–14 finish, the worst record in the 2006 NFL season, the worst season since the team went 1–13 in 1962, and their worst since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978, thus earning the right to the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NFL draft.
James Eric Berry is an American professional football safety who is a free agent. He played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, where he was a two-time unanimous All-American and recognized as the best collegiate defensive back in the country. He was then selected by the Kansas City Chiefs fifth overall in the 2010 NFL draft. Berry has been voted to the Pro Bowl five times and has been named to the First-team All-Pro three times. Berry last played professionally in the 2018 NFL season.
Malcolm Jenkins is an American former professional football player who was a safety for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, earning consensus All-American honors, and winning the Jim Thorpe Award as a senior. He was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft and played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 2014 to 2019.
The 1993 Los Angeles Raiders season was the franchise's 34th season overall, and the franchise's 24th season in the National Football League. The team improved upon its 7–9 record in the previous season and returned to the NFL playoffs after a one-year absence, but lost in the AFC Divisional game to the Buffalo Bills.
The 2011 Oakland Raiders season was the franchise's 42nd season in the National Football League (NFL) and the 52nd overall. 2011 also marked the final season under the ownership of Al Davis, who died on October 8, 2011. The Raiders matched their 8–8 record from 2010, finishing in a three-way tie with the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers for the AFC West division title, but lost tiebreakers to both teams, and missed the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season.
David Amerson is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the NC State Wolfpack and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft. He was also a member of the Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, and Arizona Cardinals.
Bradley Roby is an American professional football cornerback who is a free agent. He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He has also played for the Houston Texans and the New Orleans Saints.
Derek Sherrard "D. J." Hayden Jr. was an American professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Houston Cougars and was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft. Hayden was also a member of the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Washington Football Team / Commanders.
SAN DIEGO FLEET — Named Eric Allen defensive backs coach and LaMont Jordan running backs coach.