Everything was falling into place. After his three-year run with the New Orleans Saints turned sour, and he threatened to retire if he wasn’t traded, Eric Allen landed with the Oakland Raiders in 1998. The team had started the season 6-3, and Allen was enjoying arguably his best season, even in a career that already included three All-Pro selections with the Philadelphia Eagles.

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In Week 10 against the Seattle Seahawks, Allen snagged his fifth interception of the season, and he thought he could return it for a touchdown. As he planted his foot and attempted to cut, however, he heard a zipper sound in his knee and immediately crumpled to the ground.

Allen had missed just one game in 10 years and had no idea what happened. Once he walked off the field and talked to the training staff on the sideline, he told them to put a sleeve on his knee so he could re-enter the game.

“They were like, ‘No, EA, you’re injured,’” Allen told The Athletic recently. “I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ … They’re like, ‘Eric, we think you tore your ACL.’”

Back then, a successful recovery from a torn ACL was far from guaranteed. Allen was a week from turning 33, and he was soon pestered with questions about whether he’d retire. With Allen out, the Raiders lost five of their final six games and missed the playoffs.

Allen underwent surgery on his knee, but he wouldn’t commit to playing again until he saw how his body responded on the practice field.

“A trainer who was still there, Scott Touchet, me and him were like married,” Allen said. “And the training staff just really helped me always focus on tomorrow. Don’t worry about yesterday. Don’t worry today. Just worry about tomorrow.”

Six months later, Allen returned to the field. And when the 1999 season began, he started in Week 1. He wasn’t quite himself that season, but the 2000 campaign would be a special one. He tallied six interceptions — taking three back for touchdowns — and was one of the Raiders’ best players as they made a run to the AFC Championship Game.

Allen believes that season is why he’s set to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next weekend. He produced a Hall-worthy prime with the Eagles, but his Raiders run displayed the longevity necessary to punch his ticket to Canton, Ohio.

“It just seemed like that season cemented what I’m about to do right now,” Allen said.

Allen felt like he was in a fever dream when the Eagles drafted him in 1988. They had a legendary head coach in defensive guru Buddy Ryan. That season, their roster featured three All-Pros in Reggie White, Randall Cunningham and Keith Jackson and other talented players such as Mike Quick, Cris Carter, Jerome Brown and Seth Joyner. The Eagles hadn’t produced a winning season in years, but they were confident they had both the coaching and talent to end the drought.

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Allen hit the ground running. He started from Day 1, and by his second season, he was a bona fide star. He notched eight interceptions in 1989 and earned first-team All-Pro recognition.

The Eagles had turned the corner and reached the postseason for the second straight year. Although Cunningham was an MVP-caliber quarterback, the hallmark of the team became its “Mean Green” defense led by White.

“It all started because we had maybe the best defensive lineman in all of football (as) our spearhead,” Allen said. “We were just trying to make sure we didn’t let him down.”

The Eagles made the postseason again in 1990, but they lost their opening playoff game for the third season in a row, and Ryan was fired. In Week 1 of the 1991 campaign, Cunningham tore his ACL and was out for the year. While it was a debilitating injury, the Eagles still went on to win 10 games on the back of a defense that surrendered the fewest yards in the league.

“I just remember going into every game and looking on the (opposing) sideline and just you feel the respect,” Allen said. “I’m not saying (the other team’s players) were fearful, but you felt the respect. Their offense is like, ‘I’m not sure how we’re going to get a yard.’ It seemed like every series, Reggie would take over a series, (or) I would take over a series, (or) Seth would take over a series. It was just such a dominant group.”

Those Eagles teams never maximized their potential, though. They reached the playoffs four times from 1988 to 1992 but never moved beyond the divisional round. White left in free agency in early 1993, and back-to-back losing seasons followed.

As “Mean Green” dissolved, Allen left to sign with the Saints. He maintains it was time to move on, but his next stop proved to be far more tumultuous.

He’s IN 👏 Former Eagles Cornerback, Eric Allen is a 2025 Pro Football Hall of Famer!@EricAllen619 | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/9EgD1BBTsO — Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) February 7, 2025

The Saints didn’t sniff the playoffs in Allen’s first two seasons, but things really hit rock bottom three games into the 1997 season. During halftime of an embarrassing loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Allen and new head coach Mike Ditka got into an explosive argument that had to be broken up by players. Allen made his trade request after the season.

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“I’m going in and basically saying, ‘I’m not playing for you guys.’ And, at that time, I am not sure if any position player had ever really done that,” Allen said. “I was like, ‘Hey, this is a mess. This is not where I want to be at the end of my career. I want to be in playoff games.’”

Allen had his sights set on one destination in particular: San Francisco. But that was a non-starter for New Orleans, since they were in the same division, which led to a stalemate. Allen heard from former teammates and coaches who tried to convince him to consider other destinations, but he rebuffed them all.

That was until Allen got a call from Willie Shaw, the Raiders’ defensive coordinator. Shaw had recruited Allen to Arizona State in college, so they’d had a relationship for almost two decades. Allen didn’t want to play for the Raiders, but out of respect, he agreed to visit Oakland.

A San Diego native, Allen had grown up a Raiders fan who idolized Marcus Allen and Cliff Branch and revered John Madden and Al Davis. He figured meeting Davis alone was worth the trip.

The first person Allen ran into at the facility was a young, red-faced man he didn’t know. They had a “great conversation” about football, but he left without getting his name. Next came Willie Brown, who at the time worked for the Raiders as the director of staff development. That meeting went well, too.

Then came Shaw, who laid out his plan for Allen to start across from a rookie they planned to draft, a youngster named Charles Woodson. Last up was Davis.

“We were just talking about the history of the Raiders, and I (asked), ‘Why didn’t you draft me in 1988? You guys needed a corner,’” Allen said. “And he’s going back and forth. He’s like, ‘You played a little safety. We wanted a pure corner.’ I was like, ‘I was a pure corner.’ So, we’re going back (and forth). He says, ‘Let me take you to go talk to the head coach.’”

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When Allen walked into the office, he saw the same red-faced coach he’d met when he arrived: Jon Gruden.

“He looked so young, I didn’t know who he was,” Allen said. “So he was like, ‘What are you going to do?’”

The two had another football conversation, this time about who Allen would like the Raiders to target in free agency to improve the defense. One of the players he mentioned was safety Anthony Newman, whom he played with in New Orleans.

Allen left the facility without committing to anything. Several days later, he got a call from Newman — the Raiders had signed him.

“I thought that was such an impactful moment. They believed so much in getting me there that they were willing to bring in a good player, but a guy who had been released,” Allen said. “And so I tell my wife, ‘That’s where we’re going. We’re going to Oakland.’ So, I flew up within the next couple of days.

“It was one of the best decisions football-wise that I made.”

Eric Allen spent four seasons with the Raiders, tallying 15 interceptions and leading them to the AFC Championship Game following the 2000 season. (Tom Hauck / Allsport)

When Allen looked through the peephole and saw Randall McDaniel, his former college teammate at Arizona State, standing at his door, a wide smile immediately formed on his face. McDaniel had gone on to become a star guard with the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before being enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2009. For him to show up at Allen’s home unannounced could only mean one thing — after 19 years of waiting, it was Allen’s turn to become immortalized.

Hall of Fame person.

NOW, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. Congrats @EricAllen619 who got to celebrate the news with his family! What a special moment. 👏 pic.twitter.com/aHh6wKlzpK — Michael Yam (@Mike_Yam) February 7, 2025

Allen always thought Canton would come calling. He retired with 54 interceptions, tied for 21st in NFL history, while 16 of the 22 others with at least 54 interceptions have been inducted. He felt that, eventually, something had to give.

“I always had this calmness about it,” Allen said. “I’m not a Bible-thumping dude, but God did give me a peace about this, so I was never really stressed.”

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When Allen is inducted, Eagles and Raiders faithful alike will claim him as their own. He never won a Super Bowl, but he’s beloved by both franchises. For the Eagles, he’ll always be remembered as part of an iconic defense. With the Raiders, he helped make the team relevant again.

Largely out of his affinity for the franchise, Allen still works as a personality for the Raiders’ in-house media production team. The Eagles earned his fandom as a pre-teen when they drafted San Diego native (and eventual Pro Bowl returner) Wally Henry. Allen already had a passion for both clubs before he played a single snap in the NFL. He believes that came through on the field and played a role in him becoming a Hall of Famer.

“It wasn’t just, ‘Hey, I play for this team,’ it was like, ‘I’m playing for my team,’” Allen said. It’s like that childhood dream. … I think a lot of the fans, if they had an opportunity to play, they would play like that.”

(Top photo: Brian Bahr / Allsport)

July 28, 2025

Following a turbulent chapter with the New Orleans Saints, Eric Allen discovered new life with the Oakland Raiders beginning in 1998. After nearly hanging up his cleats without a trade, Allen joined a Raiders squad that started strong at 6-3. Though already established as a three-time All-Pro during his Philadelphia Eagles days, Allen was arguably hitting his stride at the perfect moment.

The Season-Changing Injury That Stopped Everything

During Week 10 against Seattle, Allen snagged his fifth interception of the year and took off toward the end zone. But as he planted his foot to cut upfield, a sharp “zipper” sound cracked through his knee, dropping him instantly. For someone who’d missed just one game across an entire decade, the injury left Allen completely stunned.

After hobbling off and meeting with team doctors, he begged for a knee sleeve so he could get back out there. The trainers delivered crushing news instead: torn ACL. At nearly 33, Allen stared down an uncertain future—ACL recoveries weren’t the sure thing they are today. His absence crippled the team; Oakland dropped five of their final six games and watched the playoffs slip away.

Fighting Back to the Gridiron

Allen went under the knife but refused to promise a comeback until he could test his body in actual practice. He gives major credit to trainer Scott Touchet and the medical staff for keeping him focused on moving forward rather than dwelling on what went wrong.

Six months after surgery, Allen was back on the field for Week 1 of 1999. While that season saw him still finding his footing, 2000 became something special. He grabbed six picks, took three back for scores, and anchored a Raiders defense that powered the team all the way to the AFC Championship Game.

How 2000 Locked Up Canton

Allen points to that explosive 2000 campaign as the season that sealed his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction, scheduled for August 2, 2025. His peak Eagles years certainly warranted Canton consideration, but his Raiders tenure showcased the longevity and grit that Hall voters demand.

“It felt like that season cemented what I’m about to do right now,” Allen said recently.

Building a Legend in Philadelphia

The Eagles selected Allen in 1988, throwing him straight into Buddy Ryan’s defensive machine. That roster was stacked with All-Pro firepower: Reggie White, Randall Cunningham, and Keith Jackson, plus stars like Mike Quick and Seth Joyner. Though Philadelphia had been stuck in mediocrity, this combination of coaching brilliance and raw talent sparked genuine hope.

Allen started from day one and quickly established himself as a defensive weapon, collecting eight interceptions and earning first-team All-Pro honors by his sophomore year. During this era, the Eagles became known more for their “Mean Green” defense, dominated by White’s presence, than Cunningham’s MVP-caliber quarterbacking.

Allen painted the defense’s mentality as an unstoppable force led by White, with every teammate desperate not to let down their superstar lineman.

Philadelphia’s Peak and Growing Pains

Despite making playoffs from 1988 through 1992, Philadelphia couldn’t break through past the divisional round. Ryan’s firing and Cunningham’s ACL tear in 1991 rocked the franchise. Still, the defense topped the league in fewest yards allowed, commanding respect from every offensive coordinator they faced.

But after White’s departure in 1993, the Eagles endured back-to-back losing seasons. Allen decided it was time for a change and signed with New Orleans.

New Orleans Nightmare and Escape Plan

Allen’s Saints years proved disappointing, with zero playoff appearances to show for it. Things hit rock bottom early in 1997 when a heated halftime clash with head coach Mike Ditka boiled over. After that season ended, Allen demanded a trade, frustrated with the organization’s direction and hungry for postseason football.

He specifically wanted San Francisco, but New Orleans blocked the move due to divisional politics. Other offers got rejected until Raiders defensive coordinator Willie Shaw picked up the phone.

Oakland Calling: Coming Home

Though initially hesitant about the Raiders, Allen respected Shaw, who’d recruited him in college, and agreed to visit. As a San Diego kid and lifelong Raiders fan, the chance to meet Al Davis was irresistible.

During his visit, Allen connected with several key figures, including future head coach Jon Gruden. Shaw had mapped out a plan for Allen to start opposite rookie Charles Woodson. After lengthy discussions and watching the team’s commitment—including signing safety Anthony Newman, Allen’s former teammate—the choice became obvious.

Allen called the move “one of the best decisions football-wise” he ever made.

Canton Bound and Career Complete

Allen spent four seasons with Oakland, collecting 15 interceptions and helping drive the team to that memorable 2000 AFC Championship Game. After 19 years of waiting, his old college teammate Randall McDaniel showed up at his door with the news he’d been hoping for: the Hall of Fame call had finally arrived.

Wrapping up his career with 54 interceptions—tied for 21st in league history—and quiet confidence that Canton would eventually come calling, Allen joins an impressive class of inductees.

Beloved in Two Cities

Though he never captured a Super Bowl ring, Allen holds special places in both Philadelphia and Oakland hearts. Eagles fans remember him as a cornerstone of that legendary defense, while Raiders supporters credit him with bringing the franchise back to relevance.

Still working with the Raiders through their media operations, Allen’s genuine love for both organizations fueled his on-field excellence. He credits much of his success to playing with passion and dedication to “his team,” living out the childhood dream he always carried.

“If fans got the chance to play, they would play like that,” he explained.

Top photo credit: Brian Bahr / Allsport

Jared Allen judged it was time to stop making trouble for himself and put it on quarterbacks.

Profile on Chiefs, Vikings sack artist

How Class of 2025 Hall of Famer’s stats compare to Myles Garrett’s numbers.

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.

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.

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Early on he was an “off-field risk” who, as a junior, got kicked out of his high school in Morgan, California.

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.

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.

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.”

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).

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.”

During a May 24 visit to Canton in 2025, Allen shared a retrospective version of the change in his life.

“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.’

“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.

“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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

The Detroit Lions will make their highly anticipated return to the field this Thursday in the 2025 Hall of Fame Game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Canton, Ohio.

Fans can still get their tickets, available now from Vivid Seats (from $80), SeatGeek (from $73.84) and StubHub (from $73). All prices are subject to change.

Thursday’s game will mark the official start of the 2025-26 NFL preseason and kick off Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend. Eric Allen, Jared Allen, Antonio Gates and Sterling Sharpe will join the NFL greats this weekend when they’re inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Related: Detroit Lions fans can save 20% on official Nike jerseys right now

The Lions and Chargers will face off at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday and the game will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock. Detroit has been designated as the home team and Los Angeles has been designated as the visitors.

The two teams last faced off on Nov. 12, 2023, when the Lions earned a gritty 41-39 victory on the road. Quarterback Jared Goff threw two touchdowns and Riley Patterson’s last-second field goal sealed the deal.

Fans can check out available tickets now from Vivid Seats, SeatGeek and StubHub .