Will Allen (safety)
Encyclopedia
Will Allen is an American football
safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Ohio State
.
Buckeyes
, and was a consensus first-team All-America
selection in his senior year. In his first three seasons at Ohio State he played behind three-time All American Mike Doss
, seeing action on the field primarily in nickel coverage on passing downs.
Allen is perhaps best remembered among college football fans for two plays made during the 2002 BCS national championship season. The first occurred during the 2002 Ohio State-Michigan
game, intercepting a pass from Michigan
quarterback
John Navarre
during the closing seconds to preserve the 14-9 victory and an undefeated regular season. The second play was only one game later in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl
for the national championship
. In the second half, Allen tackled Miami
running back
Willis McGahee
and delivered a helmet blow to his left knee. McGahee had to be helped off the field; he suffered ligament damage and was forced to miss his whole rookie year in the NFL.
year on special teams but saw increasing time as a safety in the final weeks of the season. He made his first NFL interception against the Carolina Panthers
and his first touchdown
in week 6 of the following season against the Miami Dolphins
. He started eight games in 2005, playing at both free safety and strong safety due to injuries to Jermaine Phillips
and Dexter Jackson.
Allen's most noted contribution in his young NFL career occurred against the Green Bay Packers
in 2005, when he intercepted Packers quarterback Brett Favre
twice in the fourth quarter. Buccaneers starting safety, Dexter Jackson, had been injured midway through the second quarter with a hamstring strain. Allen came into the game as a substitute. Allen was the Buccaneers' special teams captain in 2008. Allen was the first alternate for NFC Special Teams for the 2009 Pro Bowl. He was resigned to a 1 year $2.35 million dollar contract on February 28, 2009
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...
safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
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...
. He was drafted by 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...
in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. He played college football
College 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...
at Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
.
College career
Allen was a four-year letterwinner for the Ohio StateOhio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
, and was a consensus first-team All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
selection in his senior year. In his first three seasons at Ohio State he played behind three-time All American Mike Doss
Mike Doss
Michael Allen Doss is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, seeing action on the field primarily in nickel coverage on passing downs.
Allen is perhaps best remembered among college football fans for two plays made during the 2002 BCS national championship season. The first occurred during the 2002 Ohio State-Michigan
Michigan-Ohio State rivalry
The Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry, also known as The Game, is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Wolverines of the University of Michigan and the Buckeyes of The Ohio State University...
game, intercepting a pass from Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
John Navarre
John Navarre
John Robert Navarre is a former American football quarterback who was a three-year starter for the Michigan Wolverines from 2001 to 2003, leading the Wolverines to the 2003 Big Ten Conference championship in his final year of eligibility...
during the closing seconds to preserve the 14-9 victory and an undefeated regular season. The second play was only one game later in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl
2003 Fiesta Bowl
The 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl took place on January 3,2003 in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil Stadium. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Miami Hurricanes by a score of 31–24 in double overtime. It also served as the BCS National Championship Game for the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season...
for the national championship
BCS National Championship Game
The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
. In the second half, Allen tackled Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Willis McGahee
Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
and delivered a helmet blow to his left knee. McGahee had to be helped off the field; he suffered ligament damage and was forced to miss his whole rookie year in the NFL.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Allen played in every game in his rookieRookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
year on special teams but saw increasing time as a safety in the final weeks of the season. He made his first NFL interception against the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
and his first touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
in week 6 of the following season against the 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...
. He started eight games in 2005, playing at both free safety and strong safety due to injuries to Jermaine Phillips
Jermaine Phillips
Jermaine Phillips is an American football safety who currently plays for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
and Dexter Jackson.
Allen's most noted contribution in his young NFL career occurred against the 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 2005, when he intercepted Packers quarterback Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
twice in the fourth quarter. Buccaneers starting safety, Dexter Jackson, had been injured midway through the second quarter with a hamstring strain. Allen came into the game as a substitute. Allen was the Buccaneers' special teams captain in 2008. Allen was the first alternate for NFC Special Teams for the 2009 Pro Bowl. He was resigned to a 1 year $2.35 million dollar contract on February 28, 2009