Will Allen (safety)

For the Miami Dolphins cornerback, see Will Allen (cornerback).
Will Allen
No. 26     Pittsburgh Steelers
Safety
Personal information
Date of birth: June 17, 1982 (1982-06-17) (age 29)
Place of birth: Dayton, Ohio
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Weight: 200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
College: Ohio State
NFL Draft: 2004 / Round: 4 / Pick: 111
Debuted in 2004 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Career history
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
  • Pro Bowl Alternate (2008)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 16, 2011
Tackles     215
Sacks     0.0
INTs     4
Stats at NFL.com

Will Allen (born June 17, 1982) is an American football safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State.

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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 nickel coverage on passing downs.

Allen is perhaps best remembered among college football fans for two plays made during the 2002 BCS national championship season. The first occurred during the 2002 Ohio State-Michigan game, intercepting a pass from Michigan quarterback 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 Miami running back Willis McGahee and delivered a helmet 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.

Professional career

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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 intercepted Packers quarterback Brett Favre twice 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. Allen was the Buccaneers' special teams captain in 2008. Allen was the first alternate for NFC Special Teams for the 2009 Pro Bowl. He was resigned to a 1 year $2.35 million dollar contract on February 28, 2009

Pittsburgh Steelers

On March 8, 2010, Allen signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

External links

References
Offense
Defense
Special teams
P Dustin Colquitt | PK Nate Kaeding & Nick Browne | KR/AP Antonio Perkins