Ted Alflen
| Date of birth: | September 13, 1946 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth: | Reno, Nevada |
Career information | |
| Position(s): | Halfback |
| College: | Springfield College |
Organizations | |
| As player: | |
| 1969 1970 1970 |
Denver Broncos Long Island Bulldogs Montreal Alouettes |
Career stats | |
| Playing stats at DatabaseFootball.com | |
Theodore Thomas "Ted" Alflen (born September 13, 1946) is a former American football player. A defensive back and halfback, he played college football at Springfield College, and played professionally in the American Football League (AFL) for the Denver Broncos in 1969 and in the Canadian Football League for the Montreal Alouettes in 1970. Alflen returned to the AFL to play with the New England Patriots in 1971, but suffered a knee injury returning a kickoff in the pre-season against the Minnesota Vikings. Nine weeks later he was released and retired due to numerous injuries.
Alflen held Springfield College's record for most points scored in a game, 36 versus Tufts in 1968, a record which stood until 2006.
Alflen's moment in the limelight came during his short stint with Montreal. Alouettes coach Sam Etcheverry had suspended running back Dennis Duncan and receiver Bob McCarthy for curfew violations. Alflen, who had been playing for the Long Island Bulldogs, was brought in just in time for the playoffs, and played only three games in his brief but noteworthy career as a Lark. During the first quarter of the 1970 Grey Cup game, the Alouettes were third-and-one at the Calgary Stampeders' ten-yard line. Alflen was sent in as a play courier with instructions for a hand-off up the middle to running back Moses Denson for the third-down gamble. But Denson was forced wide to the right by Calgary's Terry Wilson. Wilson was flat on the ground but had Denson's ankle in his grip. Denson caught site of Alflen open downfield and launched a perfect strike. "I was blocking and saw Moses was in trouble. I headed for the end zone, he saw me and lofted a perfect pass to me. It was a magical sort of play; something instantaneous. It was an amazing moment for me."[1]
After his football career, Alflen worked in sales for a chemical company, was an assistant football coach at Miami Edison High School in Miami, Florida for two years, and then worked as director of sales and development for a sun-care products company.[2]