On Tuesday’s edition of the “Sports Junkies,” a conversation with Washington defensive tackle Jonathan Allen was both entertaining and revealing.
Allen revealed he sat down with Ron Rivera prior to the season finale, and they discussed his playing with a sore knee and plantar fasciitis.
The two agreed with the Commanders being 4-12, it really was not worth it for Allen to be out there again this season.
Allen goes to great measures to maintain his health. He expressed that during the season, he really cuts back on drinking alcohol and cuts back on greasy foods as well.
Allen and his wife will be taking another extensive trip this offseason. This time they are going to Easter Island, which is west of Chile, South America.
When asked about some of the unusual cults approaching him while on Easter Island, Allen did not hesitate to respond, “Oh man, I’m a follower of Jesus Christ. Man, I don’t believe in all of that mumbo, jumbo.”
Then asked if he believes in the voodoo witch doctors, Allen replied, “No sir, hey, keep that away from me. I don’t even watch TV shows that have that crap in it.”
When Allen walks through airports, fans come up to him. But interestingly, when Allen is with his wife, Allen insists no one comes up to him.
His wife is a distance runner, having even run half marathons and a marathon. Allen, who weighs around 300 pounds, told of how he tried to run with her one time, and he only ran a mile, expressing he was miserable.
When flying into some of these remote airports across the planet, Allen said he has literally prayed, recognizing, “People get mad at me when I say this, but I’m on a plane, and I have no control. So, if it is my time to go, it is what it is. I can’t control it now.”
When asked why he puts his huge body in a plane seat all of those hours to fly on these trips all over the world, Allen again did not hesitate, “Well, that’s what the wife likes, you know, so got a suck it up.”
When the Allen’s traveled to Bhutan (between China and India), Allen talked of how the elevation was 12,000 feet above sea level. They embarked on a hike up to a place called Tiger Nest, a Buddhist Temple. Jonathan said it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. You start at 12,000 feet and hiking up to 14,000 feet. I was getting crushed by this thing; lack of oxygen. Again, one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I don’t think I will go back.”
He expressed he liked what he heard from Josh Harris at the press conference, stating he is not looking for a reason to be leaving, but he does want to win now.
That is certainly understandable, as Allen’s first year in the NFL was 2017. He has been through many battles in the trenches.
There was even more revealing from Allen; here is the link to the entire conversation.