Including the 2023 Hall of Fame class, there are 371 former NFL gamers who can say that they’re members of arguably essentially the most iconic fraternity in skilled sports activities. Only 91 of these gamers can declare that they had been inducted of their first yr of eligibility. Marcus Allen, a former operating again who starred for each the Raiders and Chiefs, is on the brief record of Hall of Famers to be a first-ballot inductee.
A Heisman Trophy winner at USC, Allen gained Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after a stellar first season with the Raiders. He went on to get pleasure from a extremely profitable profession that included a league MVP, Super Bowl MVP and Comeback Player of the Year honors.
In honor of his 63rd birthday on March 26, 2023, listed here are 5 quick information concerning the former standout operating again.
Super Bowl historical past
Allen broke two Super Bowl information in the course of the Raiders’ 38-9 win over Washington in Super Bowl XVIII. Allen, who was named MVP of the sport, broke John Riggins’ one-year-old Super Bowl report after speeding for 191 yards. His 74-yard landing run broke Tom Matte’s 15-year-old report for the longest run in Super Bowl historical past.
Allen’s single recreation Super Bowl report was damaged 4 years later by Washington operating again Timmy Smith, who gained 204 yards in Super Bowl XXII. No different operating again, nonetheless, has matched Allen’s whole, as he nonetheless owns the mark for the second-most speeding yards in a single Super Bowl.
It took 22 years for an additional operating again to publish a run longer than Allen’s within the Super Bowl. Former Steelers operating again Willie Parker broke it by a yard throughout Pittsburgh’s win over Seattle in Super Bowl XL.
First to 100
Allen was the primary operating again to attain 100 touchdowns. He did in order a member of the Chiefs in the course of the 1995 season throughout a snowy day in Denver. Allen’s 123 speeding touchdowns on the time of his retirement was essentially the most by a operating again in NFL historical past. He has since been handed by Emmitt Smith (164 touchdowns) and LaDainian Tomlinson (145 touchdowns).
One of the perfect purpose line rushers in league historical past, Allen had six seasons the place he scored at the very least 11 speeding touchdowns. Remarkably, Allen had as many speeding touchdowns throughout his rookie season (11 in 1982) as he did throughout his last season (1997). He led the NFL with 12 speeding touchdowns in 1993 on the age of 33.
First member of 10K/5K membership
Allen additional made historical past in 1995 by turning into the primary participant to report 10,000 profession speeding yards and 5,000 profession receiving yards. An extremely versatile participant who threw six profession landing passes in his profession, Allen averaged 59 catches a season from 1983-87. Allen’s potential as a receiver allowed him to set the then-NFL report for many whole yards in a season throughout his MVP season of 1985 (2,314 yards).
Raider rival
Allen’s departure from the Raiders was something however civil. He had an unsightly fallout with then-Raiders proprietor Al Davis, who decreased Allen to a backup over the past years of his Raiders profession. In truth, Allen was so determined to play that he voluntary served as Bo Jackson’s fullback for a number of seasons.
Of all groups, Allen signed with the Raiders’ largest rival, the Chiefs, as a free agent in 1993. Also becoming a member of the Chiefs that season was quarterback Joe Montana, who like Allen had had lower than perfect breakup along with his former staff. With Montana and Allen, the Chiefs had their greatest season in over 20 years in 1993 that included a visit to the AFC Championship Game.
Allen was practically unstoppable in video games in opposition to the Raiders throughout his 5 years with the Chiefs. Kansas City went 9-1 in opposition to the Raiders throughout that point. A notable Chiefs win over the Raiders throughout that point was Allen’s 132-yard speeding effort within the last recreation the Raiders ever performed on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Elite membership
Allen is considered one of solely 4 gamers in league historical past to win league MVP, Super Bowl MVP and Comeback Player of the Year. The different three: Montana, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
Allen gained Comeback Player of the Year in 1993, his first season with the Chiefs. That was additionally the season the place Allen gained his second landing speeding title 11 years after profitable his first. Allen, who performed 5 seasons with the Chiefs, holds the report for essentially the most speeding yards by a participant throughout his age 36 season. He held the report for essentially the most yards speeding by a 37-year-old till Frank Gore broke his mark in 2020.
