Nathaniel Ray Allen (born November 30, 1987) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

South Florida Bulls The South Florida Bulls (also known as the USF Bulls) are the athletic teams that represent the University of South Florida. USF competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the American Athletic Conference for all sports besides sailing, a n ...

and was selected by the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

in the second round of the

2010 NFL draft The 2010 NFL draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 NFL draft, draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first ...

. He also played for the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...

and the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

Early life

Allen played football for the Pop Warner Little Scholars. He was part of the SE Region, Peace River Conference, and played with the Cape Coral High School Seahawks. Allen attended Cape Coral High School, where he played

quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...

and threw for more than 5,000 career yards. He was a three-time all-area player and Class 5A honorable mention all-state as a junior and senior. Also an accomplished basketball player, he averaged 15.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.9 steals in 2005–2006 and was named 2nd Team All-Area. He was also a letterman in track. Considered a two-star recruit by '' Rivals.com'', Allen was not ranked among the nation's best football prospects. He drew little attention from colleges and selected South Florida over

Eastern Kentucky Eastern or Easterns may refer to: Transportation Airlines *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 192 ...

and

Eastern Michigan Eastern Michigan University (EMU, EMich, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern) is a public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1849 as the Michigan State Normal School, it was the fourth normal school (teachers' ...

College career

As a

true freshman The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football; for a list of terms unique to that code, see '' Glossary of Canadian football''. 0–9 ...

, Allen played in nine of USF's 13 games, missing four mid-year games due to a

quadriceps The quadriceps femoris muscle (, also called the quadriceps extensor, quadriceps or quads) is a large muscle group that includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh. It is the sole extensor muscle of the knee, forming a large ...

injury. He was used as a situational backup in the secondary and also on special teams. Becoming a full-time starter as a sophomore, Allen had a breakout year, recording 84

tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position) A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...

(fourth on the team), four

interception In Ball game, ball-playing Competitive sport, competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for ...

s, three

fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful h ...

recoveries, 47 fumble return yards, and one

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

. He was named Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week after forcing a fumble, recovering a fumble and intercepting a pass in Bulls’ win at No. 17 Auburn. A preseason Thorpe Award candidate in 2008, Allen finished the season fifth on the team with 53 tackles, while having two tackles for loss, one sack and one interception.

Professional career

Pre-draft

Allen was considered one of the best safety prospects available for the

Philadelphia Eagles

Allen was selected by the

in the second round (37th overall) in the

. The Eagles traded quarterback

Donovan McNabb Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college ...

to the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

in exchange for the pick used to select Allen. After Marlin Jackson suffered an

Achilles tendon rupture Achilles tendon rupture is when the Achilles tendon, at the back of the ankle, breaks. Symptoms include the sudden onset of sharp pain in the heel. A snapping sound may be heard as the tendon breaks and walking becomes difficult. Rupture of the ...

during organized team activities, Allen was named the starting free safety going into training camp, replacing the 2009 starter, Sean Jones. Allen was signed to a four-year contract on July 27, 2010. Allen recorded his first NFL interception against the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

in week 1 of the 2010 season, and he recorded his second interception week 2 against the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...

. He was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for the month of September. He was placed on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...

on December 21 due to a torn patellar tendon. Allen remained the starter through the 2011 and 2012 seasons, though the linebackers and defensive backs as a whole struggled behind Jim Washburn's "wide-9" technique. In 2013, new defensive coordinator Billy Davis moved the team back to a traditional 4-3 defense, and Allen had a career best 82 tackles starting all 16 games. He re-signed with the Eagles on a one-year deal. In 2014, Allen had his best year starting alongside free safety

Malcolm Jenkins Malcolm Jenkins (born December 20, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a safety for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, earning consensus All-Am ...

. The Eagles were sixth in the NFL in defensive turnovers, with Allen's four interceptions leading the team.

Oakland Raiders

Allen signed with the

on March 12, 2015. Allen suffered a torn MCL in a loss to the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

on September 13, 2015. After an impressive preseason where he only allowed 1 catch on 5 targets, he played only 5 games in the regular season, totalling 11 tackles and 1 interception. He was released by the Raiders on February 9, 2016. Allen was re-signed by the Raiders on February 11, 2016. In the 2016 season, he recorded 33 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 3 pass deflections in 14 games and 4 starts.

Miami Dolphins

On March 10, 2017, Allen signed with the

. He started the first seven games at free safety before being placed on injured reserve on October 31, 2017 with a calf injury.

NFL statistics

Personal life

In February 2015, Allen was arrested in Fort Myers after being mistakenly identified by police officers who did not follow protocol; he was later awarded $440,000 in a federal civil rights lawsuit. After retiring from football, Allen became a firefighter with North Collier Fire Control and Rescue in

Collier County, Florida Collier County is a county (United States), county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 375,752; an increase of 16.9% since the 2010 United States Census. Its county seat is East N ...

References

External links

South Florida Bulls bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Nate 1987 births Living people Players of American football from Fort Myers, Florida American football safeties South Florida Bulls football players Philadelphia Eagles players Oakland Raiders players Miami Dolphins players