Jeff Allen (defensive back, born 1948)

Last updated

Jeff Allen
No. 37
Position: Defensive back / running back
Personal information
Born: (1948-08-27) August 27, 1948 (age 75)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school: Wendell Phillips Academy (Chicago)
College: Central (1967)
Iowa State (1968–1970)
NFL draft: 1971  / Round: 13 / Pick: 329
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Games played:1
Player stats at PFR

Jeffery Allen (born August 27, 1948) is an American former football running back and defensive back who played one season in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis Cardinals. He played college football for the Central Dutch and Iowa State Cyclones and was selected in the 13th round of the 1971 NFL draft by the Cardinals. He was injured for most of his rookie season, only playing one game, and missed the following season due to injury before being released early in 1973.

Contents

Early life and education

Allen was born on August 27, 1948, in Chicago, Illinois. [1] He attended Wendell Phillips Academy High School in Chicago and had his number (22) retired upon graduation. [2] [3] In addition to playing football for the school, Allen also was a member of their basketball team. [4] He attended Central College in Iowa for one year, 1967, being a top halfback for their football team, with performances that included posting 284 yards in one game. [1] [5]

Allen transferred to play at Iowa State University in 1968, playing wingback and being the Cyclones' second wide receiver on the depth chart, as well as one of their return specialists. [1] [6] In the first game of the season, he had the team's longest touchdown of the game, scoring from 32-yards out on a run. [7] His "ability to scramble through small holes" earned him the nickname "Rat" from his teammates. [7]

Allen finished his first season with the Cyclones as their leading touchdown scorer with 11 and also led the nation and set a Big 8 Conference record with 21 kickoff returns for 599 yards, being named the conference's sophomore of the year. [3] [8] Offensively, he ran the ball 57 times for 309 yards and caught 17 passes for 277 yards. [9] He started 16 consecutive games for the team over the 1968 and 1969 seasons before missing a game in November 1969 against Oklahoma due to injury. [10] He totaled 24 carries for 59 yards and 17 receptions for 149 yards in the 1969 season. [9] As a senior in 1970, Allen switched to playing cornerback. [11] He finished his three-year stint at Iowa State as their all-time leading kick returner with 1,549 yards. [6]

Professional career

Allen was selected in the 13th round (329th overall) of the 1971 NFL draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. [12] While many players from Iowa State have been selected in the draft, he became one of just two alumni of Central College to ever be chosen; the other one, Vern Den Herder, was also a 1971 draft pick. [13] [14] He signed his rookie contract at the end of June. [15] On August 3, he was placed on the reserve list after catching an illness while in training camp. [16] After recovering, Allen was activated on November 2 and sent to the taxi squad. [17]

Allen was activated from the taxi squad for the Cardinals' week 14 game against the Dallas Cowboys. [18] Although a cornerback, Allen was called up to play running back, his original position in college, due to injuries to other players at the position. [19] He made his NFL debut against Dallas, but recorded no statistics in the 31–12 loss. [20] This would be the only game of his career, as he subsequently suffered a leg injury, missed the entire 1972 season after being placed on injured reserve, and was released in July 1973 after failing a physical. [21] [22] [23] After his release from the NFL, Allen went on to play minor league football with the Lake County Rifles. [3]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Jeff Allen Stats". Pro Football Archives. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Allen Signs". Carroll Daily Times Herald . June 29, 1971. p. 6. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  3. 1 2 3 "Jeff Allen, other grid stars sign with Lake County Rifles". The Daily Sentinel . August 9, 1973. p. 14. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  4. ↑ "Fairbury Loses, 61-51". The Pantagraph . PNS. February 11, 1967. p. 16. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  5. ↑ "Sitting In". The Dispatch . October 27, 1967. p. 29. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  6. 1 2 "Allen Signs". Ames Daily Tribune . June 29, 1971. p. 10. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  7. 1 2 "'Rat' Springs the Trap". The Gazette . September 15, 1968. p. 63. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  8. ↑ "Cyclones Open Against Always-Tough Syracuse". Quad-City Times . September 20, 1969. p. 15. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  9. 1 2 "Jeff Allen College Stats". Sports Reference . Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Wingback Jeff Allen Rated Questionable for ISU-Husker Tilt". Sioux City Journal . Associated Press. November 6, 1969. p. 14. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  11. ↑ White, Maury (August 27, 1970). "Tisdale's Switch: He'd Rather Hit". The Des Moines Register . p. 21. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  12. ↑ "1971 NFL Draft". Pro Football Archives. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Iowa St. Players/Alumni". Pro-Football-Reference.com . Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Central College (IA) Players/Alumni". Pro-Football-Reference.com . Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Cyclone Goes Pro". The Daily Nonpareil . June 30, 1971. p. 19. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  16. ↑ "Allen On Reserve". The Courier . Associated Press. August 4, 1971. p. 36. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  17. ↑ "Big Red Sign Jeff Allen". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . November 3, 1971. p. 14. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  18. ↑ "Big Red Add Allen To Running Corps". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . December 16, 1971. p. 31. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  19. ↑ Meyers, Jeff (December 17, 1971). "Cowboys Plan To 'Do A Job' On Ailing Big Red". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . p. 23. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  20. ↑ "Jeff Allen Career Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com . Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Jeff Allen Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com . Archived from the original on July 7, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Roster Change". The Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune . Associated Press. September 14, 1972. p. 2. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  23. ↑ "Four Players Flunk Big Red Physicals". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . July 20, 1973. p. 34. Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
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