Kevin Allen (tackle)
{{Short description|American football player (born 1963)}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Kevin Allen
| number = 72, 73, 74
| position = Offensive tackle
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|6|21}}
| birth_place = Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 5
| weight_lb = 285
| high_school = Northwest
(Cincinnati, Ohio)
| college = Indiana
| draftyear = 1985
| draftround = 1
| draftpick = 9
| pastteams =
- Philadelphia Eagles ({{NFL Year|1985}})
- Orlando Thunder (1992)
- Kansas City Chiefs ({{NFL Year|1992}})*
- Cincinnati Rockers ({{AFL Year|1992}}–{{AFL Year|1993}})
- Charlotte Rage ({{AFL Year|1994}})
- Miami Hooters (1994)
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 16
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 4
| statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue3 = 1
| pfr = AlleKe21
}}
Kevin Eugene Allen (born June 21, 1963) is an American former professional football player who was a tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for one season for the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football for the Indiana Hoosiers
Allen is an alumnus of Northwest High School in Cincinnati.
NFL banning
Allen was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 1985 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=1985 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1985/draft.htm |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} His career started against the New York Giants, a game where the Giants recorded eight sacks. By midseason, Allen was relegated to Special Teams. During the offseason, Allen moved to the center position. Eagles coach Buddy Ryan thought so little of Allen that he once described him as someone who could only be useful "if you want someone to stand around and kill the grass... he looks like a USFL reject."{{Cite web |date=April 24, 2007 |title=Worst all-time first-round picks |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=cr-worstfirstroundpicks042407 |website=Yahoo! Sports}} In 2011, Deadspin ranked Allen the fourth-worst NFL player of all time, noting "The ninth overall pick out of Indiana had a special way of blocking opposing pass rushers. He would lean his body forward, then fall down." and "Never had the Eagles had a combination of bad person-bad player that could match this guy."[http://deadspin.com/5690560/the-bottom-100-the-worst-players-in-nfl-history-part-2 The Bottom 100: The Worst Players in NFL History]. Deadspin. Retrieved August 14, 2014. When Buddy Ryan was asked in an interviewed about him missing practice due to being treated at a local hospital for dehydration he said 'You mean the General?' when asked about Allen's whereabouts. 'You know we all call him the General, don't you? For General Hospital.[https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/07/22/Philadelphia-Eagles-coach-Buddy-Ryan-who-often-refers-to/7975522388800|title = Philadelphia Eagles coach Buddy Ryan, who often refers to...]
After a poor rookie season, Allen tested positive for cocaine after reporting to Eagles training camp in 1986. The Eagles released him in October 1986. Days after being cut, Allen and his roommate, Scott Cartwright, were charged with rape. Allen was sentenced to 15 years in prison, serving 33 months in prison, while Cartwright was sentenced to seven years.{{cite news|last=Schurman|first=Mike|title=Kevin Allen Gets 15 Years For '86 Rape|url=http://articles.philly.com/1987-06-20/news/26181739_1_massachusetts-woman-scott-cartwright-kevin-allen|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131071738/http://articles.philly.com/1987-06-20/news/26181739_1_massachusetts-woman-scott-cartwright-kevin-allen|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 31, 2013|access-date=September 21, 2012|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=June 20, 1987}} He was banned from the league for life soon afterward.
In the spring of 1991, Allen's ban was lifted. After failed tryouts with the Cincinnati Bengals and the San Francisco 49ers, the Kansas City Chiefs signed Allen in 1991, assigning him to the Orlando Thunder in the WLAF. He became the Thunder's starting right tackle for the 1992 season, recording at least 16 pancake blocks.{{Cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1992-05-17-9205170117-story.html|title = Philadelphia Eagles coach Buddy Ryan, who often refers to...| date=May 17, 1992 }}
Allen would later move on to the Arena Football League, playing for three teams.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{1985 NFL Draft}}
{{EaglesFirstPick}}
{{Eagles1985DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Keith}}
Category:Players of American football from Cincinnati
Category:American football offensive tackles
Category:American football centers
Category:American people convicted of rape
Category:Indiana Hoosiers football players
Category:Philadelphia Eagles players
Category:Kansas City Chiefs players
Category:Orlando Thunder players
Category:Cincinnati Rockers players
Category:Charlotte Rage players