Earning a roster spot on the Eagles is just another hurdle in Devon Allen's way to accomplishing what many thought was impossible. The latest from _RyanFowler_: FrontOffice33 | FlyEaglesFly
From “Bullet” Bob Hayes to Rocket Ismail and Marquise Goodwin, elite track speed has often trickled its way into the NFL game. While Tyreek Hill has never truly traded in his football cleats to test out the lane lines during his football career at a professional level—like D.K. Metcalf did—a talent battling for a roster spot on thehas presented a unique skill set to a game that includes some of the top athletes in the world of sports.
A wideout with three years of experience on the boundary, while track athletes often earn tryouts or a “look” from teams, competing for targets on the perimeter is nothing new to Allen, a four-year member of the Oregon Ducks from 2013-2016.
The top target for Oregon during their 2014 run to the College Football Playoff title game, the redshirt freshman amassed 41 catches for 684 yards and seven touchdowns. While he failed to work back to 100% in the coming seasons after suffering a knee injury, eventually announcing he was turning professional in track in November of 2016, Allen has worked back into football shape and will challenge for a roster spot in Philadelphia this summer.
“The biggest thing for me football-wise is I’m plenty fast enough and strong enough as an athlete,” AllenIt’s a long trek up a steep slope for Allen, who hasn’t buckled a chinstrap in nearly six years, but when you consider the Eagles’ history at the wideout spot and the ‘need for speed’ arms race within every offense across the league, it could work.
“When I’m doing so much—like football and track, trying to balance them both—I need to be really conscious of my recovery, my sleep, my diet, everything like that,” AllenTime will tell if Allen has what it takes to compete at the NFL level, but if history is a sign, it’s just another hurdle in his way to accomplishing what many thought was impossible.