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George Allen (football)
Encyclopedia
George Herbert Allen was an American football
coach in the National Football League
and the United States Football League
. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 2002.
, where his father, Earl Raymond Allen, was recorded in the 1920 and 1930 U.S. census records for Wayne County, Michigan
as working as a chauffeur to a private family. He earned varsity letter
s in football
, track and basketball
at Lake Shore High School
in St. Clair Shores, Michigan
.
Allen went to Alma College
and later at Marquette University
, where he was sent as an officer trainee in the U. S. Navy's
World War II V-12
program. He graduated with a B.S. in education from Eastern Michigan University
. He attended the University of Michigan
where he earned his M.S. in Physical Education in 1947.
coach for the Morningside Mustangs located in Sioux City, Iowa
. He held that position for 3 seasons, from 1948 until 1950. His coaching record at Morningside was 16 wins, 11 losses and 2 ties. As of the conclusion of the 2009 season, this ranks him #5 at Morningside in total wins and #5 at the school in winning percentage .
in California
where he put together a 32–22–5 mark.
staff in 1957, coaching under fellow Hall of Fame
coach Sid Gillman
. Allen was dismissed after one season, and after several months residing in Los Angeles out of football, he was brought to Chicago during the 1958 season by George Halas
, founding owner and head coach of the Chicago Bears
. The original purpose of Allen's hiring was to scout the Rams, whom the Bears would play twice during the season; Allen was asked for insights into Gillman's, and the Rams', offensive strategy and signals. Allen's thoroughness and attention to detail so impressed Halas that he eventually earned a full-time position on the coaching staff, and during the latter stages of the 1962 season
Allen was given the responsibility of what is now known as "defensive coordinator," replacing veteran Clark Shaughnessy
. His defensive schemes and tactics—and his strong motivational skills—helped make the Bears' unit one of the stingiest of its era. Allen's presence also had a formative effect on such future Hall of Fame players as linebacker Bill George
and end Doug Atkins
during their most productive years. By 1963, in his first full season as coordinator, Allen's innovative defensive strategies helped the Bears yield a league-low 144 total points, 62 fewer than any other team, and earn an 11-1-2 record that sent them to the 1963 NFL Championship. Following their 14-10 victory over the New York Giants
on December 29 at frigid Wrigley Field
, the Bears' players awarded Allen the honor of the "game ball." NBC
's post-game locker-room television coverage infamously captured Bears players singing "Hooray for George, Hooray at last; Hooray for George, He's a Horse's ass!"
Allen was also given responsibility for the Bears' college player drafts; most likely his best-remembered choices were three players who won election the to the NFL Hall of Fame and became household names in American sport—end Mike Ditka
(chosen in 1961), halfback Gale Sayers
and middle linebacker Dick Butkus
(1965). Allen's was the most common name to be suggested as a replacement for Halas should the grand old man of the league decide to step down. Jeff Davis's biography "Papa Bear" states that Halas informally told Allen in 1964 and 1965 that he would ultimately name him as head coach. But in 1965, after a 9-5 Bears finish that earned the iron-willed Halas NFL Coach of the Year honors, Allen decided to look elsewhere to fulfill his head-coaching ambitions.
At the end of the 1965 season
, Allen reached an agreement with owner Dan Reeves
of the Los Angeles Rams
to replace Harland Svare as head coach. He quickly faced a legal battle with Halas, who claimed that Allen's leaving was in breach of his Bears contract. (Halas accused Allen and the Rams of "chicanery.") The Bears' owner did win his case in a Chicago court but immediately allowed Allen to leave, saying he initiated the lawsuit to make a point about the validity of contracts. Halas would not be so magnanimous in an NFL meeting soon after when he attacked Allen's character. Upon hearing this, Green Bay coach Vince Lombardi
joked to Reeves, "Sounds like you've got yourself a hell of a coach."
The Rams had for some time been dwelling in or just above the NFL's basement. The team boasted considerable talent at several positions, most notably on the defensive line; the "Fearsome Foursome" (David Deacon Jones
, Merlin Olsen
, Rosey Grier
, and Lamar Lundy
) had gained vast attention on a losing team. Allen brought his well-known motivational skills to Los Angeles, and his twice-daily rigorous training-camp practices took players by surprise. He revealed the philosophy that he would be known for throughout his NFL career—acquiring veteran players for draft picks to fill specific roles. His motto was "the future is now." He also emphasized the role of special teams (kickoff, punt, and field-goal units) as integral to team success. He revamped the Rams' secondary with trades and installed quarterback Roman Gabriel
, previously relegated to the bench, as his starter. Allen vaulted the Rams from a 4-10 record in 1965 to 8-6 in his first year
--the team's first winning season since 1958. Allen received 1967
Coach of the Year honors for leading the Rams
to an 11-1-2 record and the NFL Coastal Division title, their first post-season berth since 1955. After the Rams finished an injury-plagued 1968 season with a 10-3-1 mark, Allen was fired; the news surprised the football world, but subsequent reports revealed that discord between Reeves and Allen had been growing for some time. By some accounts, the owner's lower-key temperament differed from Allen's intense approach; more importantly, some animus had developed between the two men in November 1968. After the favored Rams struggled to a tie at San Francisco, Allen disparaged the sloppy Kezar Stadium
turf; a few days later Reeves, addressing reporters, subtly admonished his coach for making what he considered an "alibi." The next week, after a narrow home win over the New York Giants
, Allen rebuffed Reeves's handshake and upbraided him for "embarrassing me and my family."
It might have been expected that Allen's firing met with criticism by fans and reporters, but what was not anticipated was the Ram players' reaction; thirty-eight members of the team's forty-man roster, including such standouts as Gabriel, Jones, Olsen, Lundy, Dick Bass
, Jack Snow, Bernie Casey
, Tom Mack
, Irv Cross
, Ed Meador, and Jack Pardee
, stated for the record that they would seek a trade or retire if Allen were not reinstated. Many of these players convened a press conference at a Los Angeles hotel to urge their employer, Reeves, to reconsider his decision. Allen, wearing dark glasses, spoke briefly to thank his players for their support but did not make an appeal for his job. After some negotiation Reeves offered Allen a new two-year contract, although there was no indication that the two men had reconciled their differences.
Allen and the 1969 Rams seemed to justify the coach's renewed presence; the Rams' 11-3 mark earned them a Coastal Division title as Gabriel won the NFL's Most Valuable Player award. But in both 1969 and 1970 Allen's team could not produce the championship that many had predicted for them. At the end of 1970, with the Rams missing the playoffs and Allen's contract expiring, Reeves dismissed the coach again. It had been tacitly assumed that Allen had been granted the two extra years to bring the Rams a title, and so the second time the firing met with neither fan outrage nor player objection. Allen quietly left Los Angeles as the most successful coach in Rams history
. He was replaced by UCLA coach Tommy Prothro
, almost Allen's opposite in personality and approach.
Allen was much sought after as soon as he parted ways with the Rams, and he agreed to terms with Redskins majority owner Edward Bennett Williams
. Replacing interim coach Bill Austin
, who had succeeded Vince Lombardi after his death in 1970, Allen demanded (and got) full authority over player personnel decisions, as Lombardi had been. Shortly after joining the Redskins Allen began remaking the roster to his liking; he made a series of trades with his former Ram team and brought seven 1970 Los Angeles players to Washington, including the starting linebacker corps (Maxie Baughan
, Myron Pottios
, and Pardee). Sportswriters nicknamed the team the "Ramskins" or the "Redrams." Allen continued his practice of bringing in veteran players at all positions; one was quarterback Bill Kilmer, something of an NFL journeyman for a decade, whose wobbly but efficient passing and raw-boned leadership complemented and eventually supplanted strong-armed veteran Sonny Jurgensen
. Allen restored the Redskins to competitiveness after over two decades of losing. The 1971 team was undefeated through late October and finished with a surprising 9-4-1 record and its first trip to the playoffs since 1945. Perhaps Allen's most satifying 1971 victory was a December Monday-night win in Los Angeles that all but ended the Rams' playoff hopes.
Allen's 1972 team, with Kilmer by now the starting quarterback, won the NFC East
title with an 11-3 record; the defense allowed a conference-low 218 points on the way to a NFC title, which was secured with a 26-3 home victory over the Dallas Cowboys
. The Redskins gained the chance to contest the undefeated Miami Dolphins
for the world championship, a team they had beaten in the pre-season, but in Super Bowl VII
at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
, the "'Skins" were overmatched by the Dolphins' relentless running game and staunch defense, losing 14-7.
With Allen's painstaking attention to detail and enthusiastic approach, Washington's teams were known for their spirited play and camaraderie, with the coach often leading a chant of "Three Cheers for the Redskins" ("Hip Hip Hooray
") in the locker room after wins. The Redskins acquired a reputation of a team that came by its success through hard work and workmanlike play that was rarely reflected in individual statistics. Becoming a household phrase among NFL fans was the "Over-the-Hill Gang
"--the aging Redskin veterans who seemed to save their best efforts for the most important games. They reached the playoffs in five of Allen's seven years, but were not able to duplicate their 1972 Super Bowl trip. It was during this time that the Redskins' fierce rivalry with the Dallas Cowboys
became a choice subject for pro football fans, and Allen inflamed it with bizarre actions like taunting Cowboys players while wearing an Indian headdress.
As had been the case with the Rams, Allen's intense approach was seen to indicate that winning in the present was all-important, with planning for the franchise's future taking a lesser priority. In 1977 the Redskins failed to reach the postseason for the second time in three seasons, and although owner Williams did attempt to negotiate a new pact for Allen, there were rumors that he was beginning to question his coach's philosophy.
After rejecting a $1 million, four-year contract offer throughout the 1977 season
, Allen was dismissed by the Redskins after the 1977 season
. Allen was replaced by one of his favorite players, Jack Pardee, by then the promising young head coach of the Bears. In February 1978 Rams owner Carroll Rosenbloom
was searching for a new coach after parting ways with Chuck Knox
. Allen returned to Los Angeles with much media fanfare. His second stint as the Rams' head coach was an unfortunate experience for all concerned. Allen did not have full authority over personnel and thus worked with general manager Don Klosterman to oversee a talented roster that had made the team a perennial playoff challenger. Allen brought with him his scrupulous discipline and attention to detail, which extended to practice-field protocol and dining-hall decorum. Almost immediately a group of Ram players chafed at the regulations, and some made their grievances public. A few, including standout linebacker Isiah Robertson
, briefly left camp. As newspaper reports were quoting players expressing confidence that differences would be resolved, the Rams played listlessly and lost the first two games of the 1978 exhibition schedule
. Rosenbloom decided that for the season to be salvaged a change must be made, and the announcement of Allen's abrupt dismissal was made on August 13. Many of Allen's own players were surprised by the decision. Defensive coordinator Ray Malavasi
, well-respected and liked by players (and the only holdover from Chuck Knox' staff), replaced him; the Rams ultimately advanced to that year's NFC Championship Game
. Allen soon joined CBS Sports
as an analyst for NFL network telecasts, and worked in the broadcast booth from 1977 to 1983. He, with former Cleveland Browns
great running back Jim Brown
and play-by-play announcer Vin Scully
, made up the network's only three-man announcing team.
After his stint in the broadcast booth, Allen served as head coach of the Chicago Blitz
and Arizona Wranglers
in the United States Football League
during 1983-84. Following several years out of the public, he accepted a one-year offer to coach at Long Beach State University
.
George Halas biographer Jeff Davis notes that Allen had contacted Halas in late 1981, asking to be considered for the vacant head coaching position with the Bears. Halas angrily rejected Allen's overtures and hired his old friend and former player Mike Ditka
instead.
, the Redskins' president, once said, "George was given an unlimited budget and he exceeded it." In ending Allen's second stint as the Rams' head coach after only two preseason games in 1978, Carroll Rosenbloom
said, "I made a serious error of judgment in believing George could work within our framework." and "He got unlimited authority and exceeded it." Allen was also notorious for his paranoia, regularly believing that his practices were being spied upon and that his offices were bugged. He even went as far as being the first coach in the NFL to employ a full-time security man, Ed Boynton, to keep potential spies away and patrol the woods outside Redskin Park. As documented by NFL Films
, Allen was known to eat ice cream or peanut butter for many meals because it was easy to eat, and saved time so Allen could get back to preparing for the next game. Allen kept in shape as a coach, and would run several miles at the start of each day. He did not curse, smoke, or drink, instead habitually consuming milk (some suspected that this beverage of choice arose from ulcers they suspected the always-high strung coach to suffer from). Coach Allen would later be appointed by President Ronald Reagan
to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
. It's interesting to note President Richard Nixon
(an armchair coach) once "recommended" the team run an end-around play by wide receiver
Roy Jefferson
. Allen agreed, choosing to run the play against the San Francisco 49ers
in the 1971 NFC Divisional playoff game. Jefferson was tackled by the 49ers' Cedrick Hardman
for a 13-yard loss on the play, a game the Redskins ended up losing.
As a coach, Allen was known for his tendency to prefer veteran players to rookies and younger players. During Allen's early years with the Redskins, the team was known as the "Over the Hill Gang," due to the predominance of players over the age of 30, such as quarterback Billy Kilmer
. Upon becoming Redskins coach, Allen traded for or acquired many players - all veterans of course - he had formerly coached with the Rams, including Jack Pardee
, Richie Petitbon
, Myron Pottios
, John Wilbur, George Burman
, and Diron Talbert
, leading to the Redskins sometimes being referred to in those days as the "Ramskins." The phrase "the future is now" is often associated with Allen. Allen made 131 trades as an NFL coach, 81 of which came during the seven years he was coach of the Redskins.
Allen was also known for emphasizing special teams play, and is credited with being the first coach to hire a special teams coach to focus exclusively on the play of that unit. That first special teams coach would later win a Super Bowl, Dick Vermeil
of the St. Louis Rams. His second special teams coach, Marv Levy
, would lead the Buffalo Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances.
(.736) and John Madden
(.731). He also never coached a team to a losing season. This was particularly notable in the case of the Redskins, who had only finished above .500 once over the past 15 seasons (1969, under Lombardi) before Allen's arrival.
He was noted primarily as a defensive innovator, and as a motivator. Allen was an early innovator in the use of sophisticated playbooks, well-organized drafts, use of special teams and daring trades for veterans over new players. He is also known for sparking the Dallas Cowboys
/Washington Redskins rivalry. He was 7–8 against the Cowboys in his career.
He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 2002.
is a former Republican
politician, having served as Governor
and U.S. Senator
from Virginia
. His son Bruce
is the current general manager of the Washington Redskins
and was a former general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
of the National Football League
and also a former member of the front office of the Oakland Raiders
. Gregory Allen is a sports psychologist. Allen's daughter Jennifer
, a correspondent for the NFL Network
, wrote a book about her relationship with her father titled The Fifth Quarter which outlined the man's icy demeanor toward his family, and his obsession with football to the exclusion of all else.
. He died on December 31, 1990, from ventricular fibrillation
in his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California, at the age of 72. Shortly before his death, Allen noted that he had not been feeling well since some of his Long Beach State players dumped a Gatorade bucket filled with ice water
on him following a season-ending victory over the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
on November 17, 1990 (he remarked that the university couldn't afford actual Gatorade).
The sports editor of the Long Beach State newspaper, the Daily Forty-Niner, was on the field that day and recalled that the temperature was in the 50s with a biting wind. Allen stayed on the field for media interviews for quite a while in his drenched clothing, and boarded the bus back to Long Beach State soaking wet. However, he had promised a winning season to a football program on the verge of collapse, and in his final game delivered on his promise. His players gleefully hoisted him on their shoulders as photographers snapped away, and Allen went out a winner. Allen said his season at Long Beach State was the most rewarding of his entire career.
After his death, the soccer and multipurpose field area on the lower end of campus was dedicated in his honor, George Allen Field
. A youth baseball field in Palos Verdes Estates is also named after him.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 2002.
Early life
Allen was born in Detroit, MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, where his father, Earl Raymond Allen, was recorded in the 1920 and 1930 U.S. census records for Wayne County, Michigan
Wayne County, Michigan
-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...
as working as a chauffeur to a private family. He earned varsity letter
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
s in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, track and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
at Lake Shore High School
Lake Shore High School
Lake Shore High School is a high school located in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. The school, a part of Lake Shore Public Schools, serves grades 9-12. The mascot for Lake Shore is the Shorian.-History:...
in St. Clair Shores, Michigan
St. Clair Shores, Michigan
St. Clair Shores is a suburban city bordering Lake St. Clair in Macomb County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It forms a part of the Metro Detroit area, and is located approximately northeast of downtown Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,715. The current mayor is...
.
Allen went to Alma College
Alma College
Alma College is a private, liberal arts college located in Alma, Michigan. The enrollment is approximately 1,400 students, and the college is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The college's 13th President, Dr...
and later at Marquette University
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
, where he was sent as an officer trainee in the U. S. Navy's
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
World War II V-12
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
program. He graduated with a B.S. in education from Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
. He attended the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
where he earned his M.S. in Physical Education in 1947.
Morningside
Coach Allen was the head college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coach for the Morningside Mustangs located in Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
. He held that position for 3 seasons, from 1948 until 1950. His coaching record at Morningside was 16 wins, 11 losses and 2 ties. As of the conclusion of the 2009 season, this ranks him #5 at Morningside in total wins and #5 at the school in winning percentage .
Whittier
From 1951 through 1956, he coached Whittier CollegeWhittier College
Whittier College is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. As of January 2009, the college has approximately 1540 enrolled students.-Overview:...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
where he put together a 32–22–5 mark.
Assistant coach in the NFL
Allen joined the Los Angeles RamsSt. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
staff in 1957, coaching under fellow Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
coach Sid Gillman
Sid Gillman
Sidney "Sid" Gillman was an American football player, coach, executive, and innovator. Gillman's insistence on stretching the football field by throwing deep downfield passes, instead of short passes to running backs or wide receivers at the sides of the line of scrimmage, was instrumental in...
. Allen was dismissed after one season, and after several months residing in Los Angeles out of football, he was brought to Chicago during the 1958 season by George Halas
George Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
, founding owner and head coach of the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The original purpose of Allen's hiring was to scout the Rams, whom the Bears would play twice during the season; Allen was asked for insights into Gillman's, and the Rams', offensive strategy and signals. Allen's thoroughness and attention to detail so impressed Halas that he eventually earned a full-time position on the coaching staff, and during the latter stages of the 1962 season
1962 NFL season
The 1962 NFL season was the 43rd regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, CBS signed a contract with the league to televise all regular-season games for a $4.65 million annual fee....
Allen was given the responsibility of what is now known as "defensive coordinator," replacing veteran Clark Shaughnessy
Clark Shaughnessy
Clark Daniel Shaughnessy was an American football coach and innovator. He is sometimes called the "father of the T formation", although that system had previously been used as early as the 1880s. Shaughnessy did, however, modernize the obsolescent T formation to make it once again relevant in the...
. His defensive schemes and tactics—and his strong motivational skills—helped make the Bears' unit one of the stingiest of its era. Allen's presence also had a formative effect on such future Hall of Fame players as linebacker Bill George
Bill George
William J. George was a professional football player, playing linebacker, for the Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Rams....
and end Doug Atkins
Doug Atkins
Douglas Leon Atkins is a former American football defensive end who played for the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints in the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Tennessee under legendary head coach Robert Neyland...
during their most productive years. By 1963, in his first full season as coordinator, Allen's innovative defensive strategies helped the Bears yield a league-low 144 total points, 62 fewer than any other team, and earn an 11-1-2 record that sent them to the 1963 NFL Championship. Following their 14-10 victory over the New York Giants
1963 New York Giants season
The 1963 New York Giants season was the 39th season for the club in the National Football League.-Offseason:A familiar figure on the offensive line, four-time Pro Bowl selection Wietecha, retired after a decade of service, and Greg Larson took over his job at center...
on December 29 at frigid Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
, the Bears' players awarded Allen the honor of the "game ball." NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's post-game locker-room television coverage infamously captured Bears players singing "Hooray for George, Hooray at last; Hooray for George, He's a Horse's ass!"
Allen was also given responsibility for the Bears' college player drafts; most likely his best-remembered choices were three players who won election the to the NFL Hall of Fame and became household names in American sport—end Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
(chosen in 1961), halfback Gale Sayers
Gale Sayers
Gale Eugene Sayers also known as "The Kansas Comet", is a former professional football player in the National Football League who spent his entire career with the Chicago Bears....
and middle linebacker Dick Butkus
Dick Butkus
Richard Marvin "Dick" Butkus is a former American football player for the Chicago Bears. He was drafted in 1965 and he is also widely regarded as one of the best and most durable linebackers of all time. Butkus starred as a football player for the University of Illinois and the Chicago Bears. He...
(1965). Allen's was the most common name to be suggested as a replacement for Halas should the grand old man of the league decide to step down. Jeff Davis's biography "Papa Bear" states that Halas informally told Allen in 1964 and 1965 that he would ultimately name him as head coach. But in 1965, after a 9-5 Bears finish that earned the iron-willed Halas NFL Coach of the Year honors, Allen decided to look elsewhere to fulfill his head-coaching ambitions.
Returning to the Rams
At the end of the 1965 season
1965 NFL season
The 1965 NFL season was the 46th regular season of the National Football League.Because the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Colts ended up tied in the Western Conference standings after the regular season ended, a conference playoff game was held in Green Bay. Although the Packers had defeated the...
, Allen reached an agreement with owner Dan Reeves
Dan Reeves (NFL owner)
Daniel "Dan" Reeves was the owner of the Cleveland/Los Angeles Rams from 1941 to his death in 1971.In addition to the controversial move of the Rams from Cleveland to Los Angeles, Reeves is remembered for being the first NFL owner to sign an African-American player in the post World War II era...
of the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
to replace Harland Svare as head coach. He quickly faced a legal battle with Halas, who claimed that Allen's leaving was in breach of his Bears contract. (Halas accused Allen and the Rams of "chicanery.") The Bears' owner did win his case in a Chicago court but immediately allowed Allen to leave, saying he initiated the lawsuit to make a point about the validity of contracts. Halas would not be so magnanimous in an NFL meeting soon after when he attacked Allen's character. Upon hearing this, Green Bay coach Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
joked to Reeves, "Sounds like you've got yourself a hell of a coach."
The Rams had for some time been dwelling in or just above the NFL's basement. The team boasted considerable talent at several positions, most notably on the defensive line; the "Fearsome Foursome" (David Deacon Jones
Deacon Jones
David D. "Deacon" Jones is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.Jones specialized in quarterback sacks, a term attributed to him...
, Merlin Olsen
Merlin Olsen
Merlin Jay Olsen was an American football player in the National Football League, NFL commentator, and actor. He played his entire 15-year career with the Los Angeles Rams and was elected to the Pro Bowl in 14 of those seasons, a current record shared with Bruce Matthews...
, Rosey Grier
Rosey Grier
Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier is an American actor, singer, Christian minister, and former professional American football player. He was a notable college football player for Pennsylvania State University who earned a retrospective place in the National Collegiate Athletic Association 100th anniversary...
, and Lamar Lundy
Lamar Lundy
Lamar J. Lundy, Jr. was an American defensive end with the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League for 13 seasons, from 1957 to 1969. Along with Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, and Rosey Grier, Lundy was a member of the Fearsome Foursome, often considered one of the best defensive lines in...
) had gained vast attention on a losing team. Allen brought his well-known motivational skills to Los Angeles, and his twice-daily rigorous training-camp practices took players by surprise. He revealed the philosophy that he would be known for throughout his NFL career—acquiring veteran players for draft picks to fill specific roles. His motto was "the future is now." He also emphasized the role of special teams (kickoff, punt, and field-goal units) as integral to team success. He revamped the Rams' secondary with trades and installed quarterback Roman Gabriel
Roman Gabriel
Roman Ildonzo Gabriel, Jr. is a former American football player. The son of a Filipino immigrant, he was the first Asian-American to start as an NFL quarterback and is considered by many to have been one of the best players at that position during the late 1960s and early 70s.Gabriel attended and...
, previously relegated to the bench, as his starter. Allen vaulted the Rams from a 4-10 record in 1965 to 8-6 in his first year
1966 Los Angeles Rams season
The 1966 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 29th year with the National Football League and the 21st season in Los Angeles.It was the Rams' first winning season since 1955, the year the Rams went all the way to the NFL Championship Game, 1955....
--the team's first winning season since 1958. Allen received 1967
1967 NFL season
The 1967 NFL season was the 48th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 16 teams with the addition of the New Orleans Saints. The league's teams were realigned into four divisions: the Capitol and Century Divisions in the Eastern Conference, and the Central and...
Coach of the Year honors for leading the Rams
1967 Los Angeles Rams season
The 1967 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 30th year with the National Football League and the 22nd season in Los Angeles.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings: -Playoffs: -References:...
to an 11-1-2 record and the NFL Coastal Division title, their first post-season berth since 1955. After the Rams finished an injury-plagued 1968 season with a 10-3-1 mark, Allen was fired; the news surprised the football world, but subsequent reports revealed that discord between Reeves and Allen had been growing for some time. By some accounts, the owner's lower-key temperament differed from Allen's intense approach; more importantly, some animus had developed between the two men in November 1968. After the favored Rams struggled to a tie at San Francisco, Allen disparaged the sloppy Kezar Stadium
Kezar Stadium
Kezar Stadium is a stadium located adjacent to Kezar Pavilion in the southeastern corner of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. It is the former home of the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL, and of the San Francisco Dragons of MLL. It also served as the home of the...
turf; a few days later Reeves, addressing reporters, subtly admonished his coach for making what he considered an "alibi." The next week, after a narrow home win over the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Allen rebuffed Reeves's handshake and upbraided him for "embarrassing me and my family."
It might have been expected that Allen's firing met with criticism by fans and reporters, but what was not anticipated was the Ram players' reaction; thirty-eight members of the team's forty-man roster, including such standouts as Gabriel, Jones, Olsen, Lundy, Dick Bass
Dick Bass
----Richard Lee Bass was an American football running back who played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1960 to 1969....
, Jack Snow, Bernie Casey
Bernie Casey
Bernard Terry "Bernie" Casey is a professional actor who initially had a career as an interscholastic, intercollegiate and professional football player. Casey was also a record-breaking track and field athlete for Bowling Green State University...
, Tom Mack
Tom Mack
Thomas Lee Mack is a former left guard for the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL, spending all 13-years with them from 1966 to 1978...
, Irv Cross
Irv Cross
Irvin Acie "Irv" Cross is a former professional American football cornerback and sportscaster.-Playing career:Cross was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round of the 1961 NFL Draft. In 1966 he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. Then in 1969, he returned to the Eagles and became...
, Ed Meador, and Jack Pardee
Jack Pardee
-NFL:-External links:...
, stated for the record that they would seek a trade or retire if Allen were not reinstated. Many of these players convened a press conference at a Los Angeles hotel to urge their employer, Reeves, to reconsider his decision. Allen, wearing dark glasses, spoke briefly to thank his players for their support but did not make an appeal for his job. After some negotiation Reeves offered Allen a new two-year contract, although there was no indication that the two men had reconciled their differences.
Allen and the 1969 Rams seemed to justify the coach's renewed presence; the Rams' 11-3 mark earned them a Coastal Division title as Gabriel won the NFL's Most Valuable Player award. But in both 1969 and 1970 Allen's team could not produce the championship that many had predicted for them. At the end of 1970, with the Rams missing the playoffs and Allen's contract expiring, Reeves dismissed the coach again. It had been tacitly assumed that Allen had been granted the two extra years to bring the Rams a title, and so the second time the firing met with neither fan outrage nor player objection. Allen quietly left Los Angeles as the most successful coach in Rams history
History of the St. Louis Rams
The following is a detailed history of the St. Louis Rams a professional American football team and member of the National Football League .-AFL Cleveland Rams :...
. He was replaced by UCLA coach Tommy Prothro
Tommy Prothro
James Thompson "Tommy" Prothro, Jr. was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Oregon State University from 1955 to 1964 and at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1965 to 1970, compiling a career college football record of 104–55–5...
, almost Allen's opposite in personality and approach.
Washington Redskins
Allen was much sought after as soon as he parted ways with the Rams, and he agreed to terms with Redskins majority owner Edward Bennett Williams
Edward Bennett Williams
Edward Bennett Williams was a Washington, D.C. trial attorney who founded the law firm of Williams & Connolly and owned several professional sports teams...
. Replacing interim coach Bill Austin
Bill Austin
William Lee Austin is a former American football player and coach in the National Football League, having played for the New York Giants for seven seasons and served as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1966 to 1968.Bill played for Oregon State University in college, earning All-Coast...
, who had succeeded Vince Lombardi after his death in 1970, Allen demanded (and got) full authority over player personnel decisions, as Lombardi had been. Shortly after joining the Redskins Allen began remaking the roster to his liking; he made a series of trades with his former Ram team and brought seven 1970 Los Angeles players to Washington, including the starting linebacker corps (Maxie Baughan
Maxie Baughan
-Honors:In addition to being a member of the Georgia Tech and College Football Halls of Fame, Baughan has also been inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame , the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame. However, he has not yet been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of...
, Myron Pottios
Myron Pottios
Myron Joseph Pottios is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Los Angeles Rams, and the Pittsburgh Steelers...
, and Pardee). Sportswriters nicknamed the team the "Ramskins" or the "Redrams." Allen continued his practice of bringing in veteran players at all positions; one was quarterback Bill Kilmer, something of an NFL journeyman for a decade, whose wobbly but efficient passing and raw-boned leadership complemented and eventually supplanted strong-armed veteran Sonny Jurgensen
Sonny Jurgensen
Christian Adolph "Sonny" Jurgensen III is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983....
. Allen restored the Redskins to competitiveness after over two decades of losing. The 1971 team was undefeated through late October and finished with a surprising 9-4-1 record and its first trip to the playoffs since 1945. Perhaps Allen's most satifying 1971 victory was a December Monday-night win in Los Angeles that all but ended the Rams' playoff hopes.
Allen's 1972 team, with Kilmer by now the starting quarterback, won the NFC East
NFC East
The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins....
title with an 11-3 record; the defense allowed a conference-low 218 points on the way to a NFC title, which was secured with a 26-3 home victory over the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. The Redskins gained the chance to contest the undefeated Miami Dolphins
1972 Miami Dolphins season
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only National Football League team to win the Super Bowl with a perfect season. The undefeated campaign was led by coach Don Shula and notable players Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, and Larry Csonka...
for the world championship, a team they had beaten in the pre-season, but in Super Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII was an American football game played on January 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1972 regular season...
at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
, the "'Skins" were overmatched by the Dolphins' relentless running game and staunch defense, losing 14-7.
With Allen's painstaking attention to detail and enthusiastic approach, Washington's teams were known for their spirited play and camaraderie, with the coach often leading a chant of "Three Cheers for the Redskins" ("Hip Hip Hooray
Hip Hip Hooray
Hip Hip Hooray is a cheering called out to express praise or approbation toward someone or something, in the English speaking world. By a sole speaker, it is a form of interjection...
") in the locker room after wins. The Redskins acquired a reputation of a team that came by its success through hard work and workmanlike play that was rarely reflected in individual statistics. Becoming a household phrase among NFL fans was the "Over-the-Hill Gang
The Over-the-Hill Gang (American football)
The Over-the-Hill Gang was the George Allen-coached Washington Redskins team of the early 1970s, so named due to the large number of veteran players on the team. Many of those players also played for Allen when he coached the Los Angeles Rams from 1966-1970....
"--the aging Redskin veterans who seemed to save their best efforts for the most important games. They reached the playoffs in five of Allen's seven years, but were not able to duplicate their 1972 Super Bowl trip. It was during this time that the Redskins' fierce rivalry with the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
became a choice subject for pro football fans, and Allen inflamed it with bizarre actions like taunting Cowboys players while wearing an Indian headdress.
As had been the case with the Rams, Allen's intense approach was seen to indicate that winning in the present was all-important, with planning for the franchise's future taking a lesser priority. In 1977 the Redskins failed to reach the postseason for the second time in three seasons, and although owner Williams did attempt to negotiate a new pact for Allen, there were rumors that he was beginning to question his coach's philosophy.
Third stint with the Rams
After rejecting a $1 million, four-year contract offer throughout the 1977 season
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
, Allen was dismissed by the Redskins after the 1977 season
1977 Washington Redskins season
The 1977 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 10-4 record from 1976.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
. Allen was replaced by one of his favorite players, Jack Pardee, by then the promising young head coach of the Bears. In February 1978 Rams owner Carroll Rosenbloom
Carroll Rosenbloom
Carroll Rosenbloom was an American entrepreneur and former owner of two professional football teams, the Baltimore Colts and the Los Angeles Rams....
was searching for a new coach after parting ways with Chuck Knox
Chuck Knox
Charles Robert "Chuck" Knox is a former American football coach at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. He is best remembered as head coach of three National Football League teams, the Seattle Seahawks, the Buffalo Bills, and the Los Angeles Rams, serving two separate stints with...
. Allen returned to Los Angeles with much media fanfare. His second stint as the Rams' head coach was an unfortunate experience for all concerned. Allen did not have full authority over personnel and thus worked with general manager Don Klosterman to oversee a talented roster that had made the team a perennial playoff challenger. Allen brought with him his scrupulous discipline and attention to detail, which extended to practice-field protocol and dining-hall decorum. Almost immediately a group of Ram players chafed at the regulations, and some made their grievances public. A few, including standout linebacker Isiah Robertson
Isiah Robertson
Isiah "Butch" Robertson is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills . He was selected to six Pro Bowls during his years with the Rams. He picked off 25 passes in his career, returning three for touchdowns...
, briefly left camp. As newspaper reports were quoting players expressing confidence that differences would be resolved, the Rams played listlessly and lost the first two games of the 1978 exhibition schedule
1978 NFL season
The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...
. Rosenbloom decided that for the season to be salvaged a change must be made, and the announcement of Allen's abrupt dismissal was made on August 13. Many of Allen's own players were surprised by the decision. Defensive coordinator Ray Malavasi
Ray Malavasi
Ray Malavasi was a former football coach who served as head coach of two National Football League teams: the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Rams....
, well-respected and liked by players (and the only holdover from Chuck Knox' staff), replaced him; the Rams ultimately advanced to that year's NFC Championship Game
NFC Championship Game
The National Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two semi-final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the...
. Allen soon joined CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
as an analyst for NFL network telecasts, and worked in the broadcast booth from 1977 to 1983. He, with former Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
great running back Jim Brown
Jim Brown
James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News...
and play-by-play announcer Vin Scully
Vin Scully
Vincent Edward Scully is an American sportscaster, known primarily as the play-by-play voice of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team on Prime Ticket, KCAL-TV and KABC radio...
, made up the network's only three-man announcing team.
United States Football League and Long Beach State University
After his stint in the broadcast booth, Allen served as head coach of the Chicago Blitz
Chicago Blitz
The Chicago Blitz were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.- Team history :...
and Arizona Wranglers
Arizona Wranglers
The Arizona Wranglers were a professional American Football team in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, a suburb of Phoenix.-Founding:...
in the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
during 1983-84. Following several years out of the public, he accepted a one-year offer to coach at Long Beach State University
California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Long Beach is the second largest campus of the California State University system and the third largest university in the state of California by enrollment...
.
George Halas biographer Jeff Davis notes that Allen had contacted Halas in late 1981, asking to be considered for the vacant head coaching position with the Bears. Halas angrily rejected Allen's overtures and hired his old friend and former player Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
instead.
Legacy
Allen was considered one of the hardest working coaches in football. He is credited by some with popularizing the coaching trend of 16-hour (or longer) work-days. He sometimes slept at the Redskin Park complex he designed. Allen's need for full organizational control and his wild spending habits would create friction between him and the team owners he worked for. Famously, Edward Bennett WilliamsEdward Bennett Williams
Edward Bennett Williams was a Washington, D.C. trial attorney who founded the law firm of Williams & Connolly and owned several professional sports teams...
, the Redskins' president, once said, "George was given an unlimited budget and he exceeded it." In ending Allen's second stint as the Rams' head coach after only two preseason games in 1978, Carroll Rosenbloom
Carroll Rosenbloom
Carroll Rosenbloom was an American entrepreneur and former owner of two professional football teams, the Baltimore Colts and the Los Angeles Rams....
said, "I made a serious error of judgment in believing George could work within our framework." and "He got unlimited authority and exceeded it." Allen was also notorious for his paranoia, regularly believing that his practices were being spied upon and that his offices were bugged. He even went as far as being the first coach in the NFL to employ a full-time security man, Ed Boynton, to keep potential spies away and patrol the woods outside Redskin Park. As documented by NFL Films
NFL Films
NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
, Allen was known to eat ice cream or peanut butter for many meals because it was easy to eat, and saved time so Allen could get back to preparing for the next game. Allen kept in shape as a coach, and would run several miles at the start of each day. He did not curse, smoke, or drink, instead habitually consuming milk (some suspected that this beverage of choice arose from ulcers they suspected the always-high strung coach to suffer from). Coach Allen would later be appointed by President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
The President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition , is an American government organization that aims to "promote, encourage and motivate Americans of all ages to become physically active and participate in sport"...
. It's interesting to note President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
(an armchair coach) once "recommended" the team run an end-around play by wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Roy Jefferson
Roy Jefferson
Roy Lee Jefferson is a former American football wide receiver who played twelve seasons in the National Football League...
. Allen agreed, choosing to run the play against the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in the 1971 NFC Divisional playoff game. Jefferson was tackled by the 49ers' Cedrick Hardman
Cedrick Hardman
Cedrick Ward Hardman is a former American Football defensive end who played for the National Football League's San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders and the United States Football League's Oakland Invaders...
for a 13-yard loss on the play, a game the Redskins ended up losing.
Preferring veteran players over younger players
As a coach, Allen was known for his tendency to prefer veteran players to rookies and younger players. During Allen's early years with the Redskins, the team was known as the "Over the Hill Gang," due to the predominance of players over the age of 30, such as quarterback Billy Kilmer
Billy Kilmer
William Orland Kilmer, Jr. was an American football quarterback in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers, the New Orleans Saints and the Washington Redskins...
. Upon becoming Redskins coach, Allen traded for or acquired many players - all veterans of course - he had formerly coached with the Rams, including Jack Pardee
Jack Pardee
-NFL:-External links:...
, Richie Petitbon
Richie Petitbon
Richard Alvin Petitbon is a former American football safety and head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League...
, Myron Pottios
Myron Pottios
Myron Joseph Pottios is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Los Angeles Rams, and the Pittsburgh Steelers...
, John Wilbur, George Burman
George Burman
George Robert Burman is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Northwestern University and was drafted in the 15th round of the 1964 NFL Draft....
, and Diron Talbert
Diron Talbert
Diron Vester Talbert is a former American football defensive end.-Football career:Talbert played college football at the University of Texas where he was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Fame in 2005....
, leading to the Redskins sometimes being referred to in those days as the "Ramskins." The phrase "the future is now" is often associated with Allen. Allen made 131 trades as an NFL coach, 81 of which came during the seven years he was coach of the Redskins.
Emphasizing special teams play
Allen was also known for emphasizing special teams play, and is credited with being the first coach to hire a special teams coach to focus exclusively on the play of that unit. That first special teams coach would later win a Super Bowl, Dick Vermeil
Dick Vermeil
Richard Albert "Dick" Vermeil is a former American head coach for the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles , St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs...
of the St. Louis Rams. His second special teams coach, Marv Levy
Marv Levy
Marvin Daniel Levy is a former American and Canadian football coach, front office executive and author.He is a former professional football coach, in the CFL as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes , and in the NFL as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills , coaching the Bills...
, would lead the Buffalo Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances.
Notable accomplishments
Allen had the third best winning percentage in the NFL (.681), exceeded only by Vince LombardiVince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
(.736) and John Madden
John Madden (American football)
John Earl Madden is a former American professional football player in the National Football League, a former Super Bowl-winning head coach with the Oakland Raiders in the American Football League and later the NFL, and a former color commentator for NFL telecasts. In 2006, he was inducted into...
(.731). He also never coached a team to a losing season. This was particularly notable in the case of the Redskins, who had only finished above .500 once over the past 15 seasons (1969, under Lombardi) before Allen's arrival.
He was noted primarily as a defensive innovator, and as a motivator. Allen was an early innovator in the use of sophisticated playbooks, well-organized drafts, use of special teams and daring trades for veterans over new players. He is also known for sparking the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
/Washington Redskins rivalry. He was 7–8 against the Cowboys in his career.
He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 2002.
Family
Allen married the former Henrietta (Etty) Lumbroso, with whom he had four children, three sons and one daughter. His son GeorgeGeorge Allen (U.S. politician)
George Felix Allen is a former United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the son of former NFL head coach George Allen. Allen served Virginia in the state legislature, as the 67th Governor, and in both bodies of the U.S. Congress, winning election to the Senate in 2000...
is a former Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician, having served as Governor
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
and U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. His son Bruce
Bruce Allen (American football)
Bruce Allen is the general manager of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Previously, Allen served as general manager for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and as a senior executive with the Oakland Raiders .-Background:...
is the current general manager of the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
and was a former general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and also a former member of the front office of the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Gregory Allen is a sports psychologist. Allen's daughter Jennifer
Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen is an American author, commentator, and daughter of football coach George Allen.-Family:Jennifer Allen grew up the only daughter of a professional football coach who was known for total commitment to his team and sport....
, a correspondent for the NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
, wrote a book about her relationship with her father titled The Fifth Quarter which outlined the man's icy demeanor toward his family, and his obsession with football to the exclusion of all else.
Death
Allen's death may have been indirectly caused by a Gatorade showerGatorade shower
The Gatorade shower, also known as the Gatorade dunk and the Gatorade bath, is a sports tradition that involves dumping a cooler full of liquid over a coach's head following a meaningful win, like the Super Bowl. The tradition began with the New York Giants football team in the mid-1980s...
. He died on December 31, 1990, from ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular fibrillation is a condition in which there is uncoordinated contraction of the cardiac muscle of the ventricles in the heart, making them quiver rather than contract properly. Ventricular fibrillation is a medical emergency and most commonly identified arrythmia in cardiac arrest...
in his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California, at the age of 72. Shortly before his death, Allen noted that he had not been feeling well since some of his Long Beach State players dumped a Gatorade bucket filled with ice water
Gatorade shower
The Gatorade shower, also known as the Gatorade dunk and the Gatorade bath, is a sports tradition that involves dumping a cooler full of liquid over a coach's head following a meaningful win, like the Super Bowl. The tradition began with the New York Giants football team in the mid-1980s...
on him following a season-ending victory over the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
UNLV Rebels football
The UNLV Rebels football program is a college football team that represents the University of Nevada, Las Vegas . The team is currently a member of the Mountain West Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association...
on November 17, 1990 (he remarked that the university couldn't afford actual Gatorade).
The sports editor of the Long Beach State newspaper, the Daily Forty-Niner, was on the field that day and recalled that the temperature was in the 50s with a biting wind. Allen stayed on the field for media interviews for quite a while in his drenched clothing, and boarded the bus back to Long Beach State soaking wet. However, he had promised a winning season to a football program on the verge of collapse, and in his final game delivered on his promise. His players gleefully hoisted him on their shoulders as photographers snapped away, and Allen went out a winner. Allen said his season at Long Beach State was the most rewarding of his entire career.
After his death, the soccer and multipurpose field area on the lower end of campus was dedicated in his honor, George Allen Field
George Allen Field
George Allen Field is a 1,000 seat soccer stadium on the campus of California State University, Long Beach in Long Beach, California.-Tenants & history:It is currently the home of the Long Beach State 49ers women's soccer team...
. A youth baseball field in Palos Verdes Estates is also named after him.
Head coaching record
| Team | |Regular Season | LA 1966 Los Angeles Rams season The 1966 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 29th year with the National Football League and the 21st season in Los Angeles.It was the Rams' first winning season since 1955, the year the Rams went all the way to the NFL Championship Game, 1955.... |
1966 1966 NFL season The 1966 NFL season was the 47th regular season of the National Football League, and the season after which was played Super Bowl I, though it was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The league expanded to 15 teams with the addition of the Atlanta Falcons, thus an odd number of teams... |
8 | 6 | 0 | .571 | 3rd in Western Conference | - | - | - | |
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| LA 1967 Los Angeles Rams season The 1967 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 30th year with the National Football League and the 22nd season in Los Angeles.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings: -Playoffs: -References:... |
1967 1967 NFL season The 1967 NFL season was the 48th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 16 teams with the addition of the New Orleans Saints. The league's teams were realigned into four divisions: the Capitol and Century Divisions in the Eastern Conference, and the Central and... |
11 | 1 | 2 | .917 | 1st in Coastal Division | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... in Conference Championship NFL playoffs, 1967 The NFL playoffs following the 1967 NFL season culminated in the 1967 title game on New Year's Eve, and determined who would represent the league against the American Football League champions in Super Bowl II.... . |
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| LA 1968 Los Angeles Rams season The 1968 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 31st year with the National Football League and the 23rd season in Los Angeles.-Schedule:-Standings: -References:... |
1968 1968 NFL season The 1968 NFL season was the 49th regular season of the National Football League. As per the agreement made during the 1967 realignment, the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants switched divisions; the Saints joined the Century Division while the Giants became part of the Capitol Division.The... |
10 | 3 | 1 | .769 | 2nd in Coastal Division | - | - | - | |||
| LA 1969 Los Angeles Rams season The 1969 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 32nd year with the National Football League and the 24th season in Los Angeles.-NFL Draft:-Regular season:... |
1969 1969 NFL season The 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the... |
11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 1st in Coastal Division | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... in Conference Championship NFL playoffs, 1969 The NFL playoffs following the 1969 NFL season determined who would represent the league in Super Bowl IV.This was the last NFL playoff tournament before the AFL-NFL Merger.-Tournament bracket:-Conference championships:... . |
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| LA 1970 Los Angeles Rams season The 1970 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 33rd year with the National Football League and the 25th season in Los Angeles.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-Roster:... |
1970 1970 NFL season The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new... |
9 | 4 | 1 | .692 | 2nd in NFC West NFC West The NFC West is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: Arizona Cardinals, St... |
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| LA NFL Total | 49 | 17 | 4 | .742 | 0 | 2 | .000 | |||||
| WAS 1971 Washington Redskins season The 1971 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 6-8 record from 1970.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-References:... |
1971 1971 NFL season The 1971 NFL season was the 52nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl VI when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins... |
9 | 4 | 1 | .692 | 2nd in NFC East NFC East The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins.... |
0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... in NFC Divisional Game NFL playoffs, 1971-72 The NFL playoffs following the 1971 NFL season led up to Super Bowl VI. Like the previous NFL seasons, the home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly divisional rotation, excluding the wild card teams who would always play on the road... . |
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| WAS 1972 Washington Redskins season The 1972 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 9-4-1 record from 1971.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-Playoffs:-Awards and records:* Larry Brown, NFL MVP * Larry Brown, Bert Bell Award... |
1972 1972 NFL season The 1972 NFL season was the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied when they beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.-Major rule changes:... |
11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 1st in NFC East NFC East The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins.... |
2 | 1 | .667 | Lost to Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... in Super Bowl VII Super Bowl VII Super Bowl VII was an American football game played on January 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1972 regular season... . |
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| WAS 1973 Washington Redskins season The 1973 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 11-3 record from 1972.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-References:... |
1973 1973 NFL season The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season... |
10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 2nd in NFC East NFC East The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins.... |
0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... in NFC Divisional Game NFL playoffs, 1973-74 The NFL playoffs following the 1973 NFL season led up to Super Bowl VIII. Like the previous NFL seasons, the home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly divisional rotation, excluding the wild card teams who would always play on the road.-Bracket:... . |
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| WAS 1974 Washington Redskins season The 1974 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 10-4 record from 1973.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-References:... |
1974 1974 NFL season The 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl IX when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings... |
10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 2nd in NFC East NFC East The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins.... |
0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Los Angeles Rams in NFC Divisional Game NFL playoffs, 1974-75 The NFL playoffs following the 1974 NFL season led up to Super Bowl IX. This was the last season in which the sites for the playoff games annually alternated by division.-Bracket:-AFC: Oakland Raiders 28, Miami Dolphins 26:... . |
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| WAS 1975 Washington Redskins season The 1975 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 10-4 record from 1974.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
1975 1975 NFL season The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:... |
8 | 6 | 0 | .571 | 3rd in NFC East NFC East The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins.... |
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| WAS 1976 Washington Redskins season The 1976 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 8-6 record from 1975.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-References:... |
1976 1976 NFL season The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers... |
10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 2nd in NFC East NFC East The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins.... |
0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... in NFC Divisional Game NFL playoffs, 1976-77 The NFL playoffs following the 1976 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XI.-Bracket:-AFC: Oakland Raiders 24, New England Patriots 21:The Patriots scored first after an 86-yard drive was capped by running back Andy Johnson's 1-yard touchdown run... . |
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| WAS 1977 Washington Redskins season The 1977 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 10-4 record from 1976.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
1977 1977 NFL season The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central.... |
9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 2nd in NFC East NFC East The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins.... |
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| WAS NFL Total | 67 | 30 | 1 | .691 | 2 | 5 | .286 | |||||
| NFL Total | 116 | 47 | 5 | .712 | 2 | 7 | .222 | |||||
| CHI Chicago Blitz The Chicago Blitz were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.- Team history :... |
1983 1983 USFL season -Regular season:W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against = Division Champion, = Wild CardThe 1983 USFL season was the inaugural season of the United States Football League.-Regular season:... |
12 | 6 | 0 | .667 | 1st-T in USFL Central | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Philadelphia Stars in USFL playoff first round. | ||
| ARZ Arizona Wranglers The Arizona Wranglers were a professional American Football team in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, a suburb of Phoenix.-Founding:... |
1984 1984 USFL season -Regular season:W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against = Division Champion, = Wild Card-Playoffs:Home team in CAPITALSConference Semifinals* PHILADELPHIA 28, New Jersey 7... |
10 | 8 | 0 | .556 | 1st-T in USFL Pacific | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost to Philadelphia Stars in USFL championship game | ||
| USFL Total | 22 | 14 | 0 | .611 | 2 | 2 | .500 | |||||