Devon Allen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Devon Allen

Devon Allen in 2018
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1994-12-12) December 12, 1994 (age 30) Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school:	Brophy College Preparatory (Phoenix, Arizona)
College:	Oregon (2013–2016)
Undrafted:	2017
Career history
Philadelphia Eagles (2022)
Career NFL statistics
Return yards: 17
Player stats at PFR

Devon Allen (born December 12, 1994) is an amazing American athlete. He is famous for two sports: track and field, especially the 110-meter hurdles, and football, where he plays as a wide receiver. Devon has even competed in the Olympics twice! He is currently a free agent in football.

Early Life and Sports Beginnings

Devon Allen was born in 1994. From a young age, he loved both track and football. He started running track with a club called the Arizona Rising Suns.

Devon worked very hard at both sports. Even though he really liked football, his coaches encouraged him to keep going with his track career. His dedication helped him have a very successful time at Brophy Prep high school.

Becoming a Top Football Recruit

Because of his skills, Devon was seen as a top player for college football. Many colleges wanted him to join their team. He was considered a "four-star recruit," which means he was one of the best high school players in the country. In the end, he decided to play for the University of Oregon.

Devon's Football Journey

After high school, Devon joined the University of Oregon football team. He played as a wide receiver for three years. His first year was his best, where he caught many passes and scored touchdowns.

Sadly, Devon had some tough injuries. He tore a ligament in his knee (called an ACL) during a big game in 2015. He tore it again in 2016. After college, he decided to focus more on his track career instead of football.

Playing for the Philadelphia Eagles

Even after years of focusing on track and competing in the Olympics, Devon still loved football. In 2022, he decided to try out for NFL teams at a special event for players from the University of Oregon.

He ran incredibly fast, catching the eye of many scouts. The Philadelphia Eagles were very impressed. On April 8, 2022, they signed him to a contract! He later joined their practice squad.

On September 25, 2023, Devon made his official NFL debut in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL for a third time in December 2023. After the 2023-24 season, his contract ended, and he became a free agent.

Devon's Track and Field Career

Devon Allen is a very successful track and field athlete. He specializes in the 110-meter hurdles. He has won the U.S. national championship three times (in 2014, 2016, and 2018).

He is also a two-time Olympian, meaning he competed in the Olympics twice. He reached the finals in both the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Devon's fastest time in the 110-meter hurdles is 12.84 seconds, which he set in 2022. This amazing time ranks as the third-fastest ever recorded in history! In 2021, he ran 12.99 seconds, becoming one of only a few American hurdlers to ever run faster than 13 seconds.

A Controversial Race

In July 2022, Devon was disqualified from the World Athletic Championships. This happened because of a very close "false start." The sensors on the starting blocks measured his reaction time as 0.099 seconds. The rules say you must react in 0.100 seconds or slower. So, he was disqualified by just one-thousandth of a second!

Future in Track

After his third ACL injury in football, Devon announced in January 2024 that he hoped to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, his injury recovery made it too difficult to achieve this goal.

In October 2024, it was announced that Devon would join the first season of Grand Slam Track. This is a new track and field league started by famous sprinter Michael Johnson.

Track and Field Achievements

¹ Disqualified in the final.

Track Records

As of September 11, 2024, Devon Allen holds these track records for the 110-meter hurdles: