Will Allen (American football safety)
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| Will Allen | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | June 17, 1982 (age 24) |
| Place of birth |  Dayton, Ohio |
| Position(s) | Free safety |
| College | Ohio State |
| NFL Draft | 2004 / Round 4/ Pick 111 |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 2004-Present | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Will Allen (born June 17, 1982, in Dayton, Ohio) is an American football player who currently plays Safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL. He was selected in the 4th round of the 2004 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
[edit] College Career
Allen was a four-year letterwinner for the 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 nickle coverage on passing down.
Allen is perhaps best remembered among college football fans for two plays made during the 2002 national championship season. The first occurred during the 2002 Ohio State-Michigan game, intercepting a pass from 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 Willis McGahee and delivered a forearm 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.
[edit] Professional Career
Allen played in every game in his rookie 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 twice intercepted Packer quarterback Brett Favre 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.
Later that season Allen made a hit on Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith. Smith rolled over onto his knees and then onto his back where he lay for a while. Allen was the Buccaneer's starter at free safety for the 2006 season.
