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It must be nice to get the notion that you want to return to the world of football and try to land a job in the NFL, and have people take you seriously, right?
For Devon Allen, an Olympic sprinter who was also a highly-successful wide receiver for the Oregon Ducks several years ago, that’s where things are at the moment. With a couple of trips to the Olympics under his belt, Allen has made the decision that he wants to return to the game of football and try to find a spot on an NFL roster this upcoming season.
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To help get this ‘track to turf’ campaign off of the ground, Allen participated in the Ducks’ Pro Day on Friday to announce that he is serious about switching sports and throw his hat in the ring for a roster spot this fall.
Devon Allen 40-yard dash. Murmurs from NFL scouts after he crossed. pic.twitter.com/HXFMx2V5vY
— Zachary Neel (@zacharycneel) April 1, 2022
“That was kind of always the plan,” Allen said after the Pro Day. “When I had my last knee injury, which was in the 2016-2017 season, I decided I was going to focus on track through the next Olympics, and that actually took a year longer than I had planned because of COVID. But, you know, now we’re here.”
While a knee injury ended his football career at Oregon, Allen has been wildly successful on the track, winning gold in the 110m hurdles in the 2018 USA Outdoor Championships, and representing Team USA in both the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games.
Though this isn’t an Olympic year, there is still a chance for Allen to compete at the top of the mountain in the world of track and field and do so right on his home turf of Hayward Field. The IAAF World Championships are coming to Eugene this summer, with the best athletes in the world competing at the top of their fields. For Allen, an eventual return to football isn’t going to stop him from taking part in all of the fun.
“The goal is to… I’m pretty much going to put football on the back burner for now,” Allen said. “I just wanted to come to the Pro Day and announce that I’m taking this seriously. The goal is to get ready for worlds, win, break a world record, and do that whole thing. On July 18th, when Worlds is done, go to camp that next week. That’s kind of the goal I envisioned in my head to make it work, and I feel like that is quite possible.”
Devon Allen catching a ball from Anthony Brown. pic.twitter.com/TwrSs5sY83
— Zachary Neel (@zacharycneel) April 1, 2022
It may seem like a nonchalant view of the NFL world, with a sprinter assuming that he can trade in his spikes for a pair of cleats and start to play the nation’s most popular game with the best of the best. However, with his elite speed and past history on the gridiron, Allen certainly has a chance. In his three seasons with the Ducks, Allen had almost 1,000 yards receiving and 8 touchdowns, and he always stood as the most explosive player on the field.
If NFL scouts and GMs were watching on Friday, they likely saw an athletic player who could beat anyone in a foot race while holding a great background in the sport.
It’s safe to say there’s a lot there to work with.
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