Will Allen (cornerback) facts for kids
Allen with the Miami Dolphins in 2009
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| Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | August 5, 1978 Syracuse, New York, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Syracuse (NY) Corcoran | ||||||||||||
| College: | Syracuse (1996–2000) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2001 / Round: 1 / Pick: 22 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Will D. Allen is a former professional football player. He was born on August 5, 1978. Will Allen played as a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL).
He played college football for the Syracuse Orange. The New York Giants picked him in the first round of the 2001 NFL draft. Allen also played for the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots.
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Early Life and High School Football
Will Allen grew up in Syracuse, New York. He went to Corcoran High School there. He was very good at both football and track.
He played on the varsity football team for two years. He was a cornerback and caught 17 interceptions. In his senior year, he set a school record with 11 interceptions. He also played wide receiver, catching 23 passes for 460 yards. His team had two great seasons, winning 10 games and losing only 1 each year.
In 1995, he was named first-team All-New York State. He was also a first-team all-conference cornerback for both of his varsity seasons. His high school chose him as their Athlete of the Year for 1995–96. In track, he finished third in New York State in the 100-meter dash. He ran it in 10.5 seconds.
College Football Career
Will Allen decided to stay in his hometown for college. He received a scholarship to play football for the Syracuse University Orangemen. He took a "redshirt" year in 1996. This meant he practiced with the team but did not play in games.
After his redshirt year, Allen became an excellent cornerback. He was also a great kickoff returner. He played in 43 games and started 28 of them. He started 28 games out of 31 over his last three seasons. People remember him as one of the fastest players ever at Syracuse. He could run the 40-yard dash in just 4.29 seconds.
Professional Football Career
Will Allen had a long career playing in the NFL. He played for three different teams.
New York Giants
The New York Giants picked Allen in the first round of the 2001 NFL draft. He played for the Giants for five seasons, from 2001 to 2005. After the 2005 season, the Giants decided to sign another player instead of keeping Allen. Even though Allen was good at staying in position, he did not get many interceptions after his first year.
Miami Dolphins
On March 19, 2006, Will Allen signed a four-year contract with the Miami Dolphins. This contract was worth $12 million.
He became known as one of the best "cover corners" on the team. This means he was good at defending against passes. In 2008, Allen caught three interceptions. He returned one of them for his first career touchdown. This happened in a game against the Denver Broncos.
In May 2009, the Dolphins signed Allen to a new contract. This deal was worth $16.2 million and kept him with the team until 2011. In Week 6 of the 2009 season, Allen hurt his knee. He tore his ACL, which is a serious knee injury. This meant he could not play for the rest of that season.
Allen was placed on injured reserve again in September 2010. This was just one week before the season started. He had another knee injury, which ended his 2010 season. He later changed his contract to stay with the team. He was set to make $5.5 million in 2011 but took less money to come back. He played as the team's nickel back.
On September 3, 2011, the Dolphins ended Allen's contract. However, they re-signed him on September 14, 2011.
New England Patriots
Allen signed a one-year contract with the New England Patriots on March 21, 2012. He was placed on injured reserve in August 2012. This meant he could not play for the Patriots that season.
