Marcus Allen

2007 CALIFORNIA SPORTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE

Marcus Allen was a crowd favorite who always played the game with courage, tenacity, and class. Considered one of the greatest NFL and collegiate running backs of all-time, he will be remembered in the annals of sports as one of the best to play the game at any level.

Drafted tenth overall in the first round of the 1982 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Raiders, Allen, in his rookie season, led the Raiders to 8-1 record, rushing for 697 yards and winning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. The next year, possibly Allen's finest, he led the league with 1,759 rushing yards on 380 carries and 11 touchdowns helping the Raiders to a 12-4 record and the AFC West Title. He also caught 67 passes for 555 yards and scored an additional three touchdowns. For his performance he was rewarded with league MVP honors.

Allen might be best remembered for his heroics in Super Bowl XVIII. However, in that game he ran for 191 yards caught 2 passes for 18 yards and scored 2 touchdowns in the Raiders 38-9 victory over the Washington Redskins.

In 1993, after a stormy relationship with Raiders owner Al Davis, Allen joined the Kansas City Chiefs. That year he rushed for only 764 yards but scored 12 touchdowns as he and Joe Montana led the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game. He was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

Allen made NFL history in 1995 when he became the first player in league history to rush for 10,000 yards and catch passes for more than 5,000 yards. In his career he rushed for 12,243 yards, caught 587 passes for 5,411 yards and scored 145 touchdowns including a then league record 123 rushing touchdowns. As further evidence of his versatility, Allen completed 12 of 27 passes for 282 yards and six touchdowns during his career. He was elected to six Pro Bowls when he retired.

During his college career at USC, Marcus Allen caught the attention of a nation. In 1981, while playing for the Trojans, he became the first college player to rush for 2,000 yards (2,342 yards) in a single season, scored a record 22 rushing touchdowns and set 13 other NCAA records. For his accomplishments that year he was awarded the coveted Heisman Trophy, the Walter Camp Award and named Pac-10 player of the year.

A true Hall of Famer on and off the field, Allen retired from football after the 1997 season and established a career in broadcasting where he currently works for the NFL Network. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003.