Will Eric Allen Advance in Hall-of-Fame Voting?

 By John Turney 

After an 18-year wait, former cornerback Eric Allen this year was named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame's modern-era class for the first time. And that's good. But he should have been there earlier.

The reason? Simple. His case is compelling.

A six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, Allen was the complete package for a cornerback. He was confident. He was aggressive. He was productive. And he was versatile, someone who could, as Hall-of-Famer Charles Woodson once said, "play tight or play off" opponents.

Woodson should know. He teamed four seasons in Oakland with Allen, who also spent seven years with the Eagles and three with New Orleans.

"He wasn't afraid to challenge receivers," said former Philadelphia teammate Andre Waters. "He wasn't afraid to go for the interception. The guy is phenomenal. He's a smart player, he's aggressive and he's a hitter. He's a good cover guy, and he has speed."

Allen's Hall-of-Fame case begins with longevity. Not only did he play 14 years in the NFL; he was a starter for all 14 -- the proverbial starter from the "cradle to the grave." In all, he played in 217 games, with 214 starts, and he played them all at cornerback.

Significant? I think so. Of the Hall-of-Famers who played cornerback most of their careers and went to five or more Pro Bowls -- i.e., Darrell Green, Charles Woodson, Ronde Barber, Rod Woodson and Champ Bailey -- only Green and Bailey never played safety. Barber and the Woodsons did at varying times.

Allen was remarkably durable, too, missing only seven games in his career. Of the 22 cornerbacks enshrined in Canton, only five missed fewer, with a sixth (Dick LeBeau) tying Allen. And the other 16? They missed anywhere from 11 to 37 games with an average of 23 missed games.

Then there's the productivity. Allen had 54 interceptions in his career, including eight returned for touchdowns. The man knew what to do with the football when he got his hands on it. One season he returned four interceptions for TDs, a league record broken only last year. In another, he had three.

Among NFL players who were primarily cornerbacks, he ranks 13th in interceptions and is tied for eighth in career interceptions returned for scores. He's also the 18th player to score twice on interceptions in the same game.

In short, Allen's "numbers" put him among the elite all time as do his season honors.

"I know what kind of impact I had," he said when he joined the "Eye Test for Two" podcast earlier this year. "My numbers speak for themselves. From probably 1989-92, there was not a better corner than me."

The Philadelphia Eagles chose Allen in the second round of the 1988 draft out of Arizona State where he was All-Pac-10 and part of three bowl teams. That includes the 1986 squad that defeated Michigan, 22-15, in a Rose Bowl where he had an interception. It was one of 15 in his collegiate career, including eight as a senior.

As a pro, he immediately impressed then-Eagles' coach Buddy Ryan, who installed him as his starting right corner. The move paid dividends, with Allen named All-Rookie that year and first-team All-Pro his second, a season where he went to the first of six Pro Bowls.

He made second-team All-Pro twice more -- in 1991 and 1993.

Incredibly, he wasn't first-team All-Pro in 1993 when he intercepted six passes and took four to the house, tying the then-NFL record. Nevertheless, he was voted NFC Player of the Year by writers who covered NFC teams for UPI. It was about as good a year as one can have and NOT be a first-team All-Pro.

"Eric Allen," Pro Football Weekly's Joel Buchsbaum wrote after that season, "might be the best cornerback in the NFL."

Allen leveraged that success into a big-money contract with New Orleans, where he went to his final Pro Bowl despite few interceptions. But there was a reason. Saints' coach Jim Mora told the press that opponents weren't challenging Allen and that he couldn't have been more pleased with his play.

In 1998, he was again a free agent, this time signing with the Oakland Raiders, where in 2000 he proved he still had "it" -- producing another monster year, with six interceptions, including three returned for touchdowns. Then, after the following season, he retired, leaving a legacy worthy of Hall-of-Fame consideration.

He had more career interceptions (54) than Ronde Barber (47) or Darrell Revis (29), cornerbacks enshrined a year ago, and more pick-sixes than all but seven players in league history. 

His six Pro Bowls are more than Barber, Herb Adderley, Jimmy Johnson, Mel Blount, Emmitt Thomas, Dick LeBeau and Ken Riley and as many as Ty Law, a recent Hall inductee.

And remember that NFC Player of the Year Award? That's rare for any corner to win. In fact, only seven have been either an NFL or NFC/AFC Defensive Player of the Year -- Mel Blount, Mike Haynes, Deion Sanders, Rod Woodson, Charles Woodson and two not enshrined in Canton.

Lester Hayes and Eric Allen.

That's the roll call. Seven corners who rose above all other defensive players to be the best in the league or their conference. Yet, despite all that, it took 18 years for Eric Allen to make the Final 15 roll call for Canton. Worse, he wasn't even a semifinalist until 2021. 

But that was three years ago. At least now he has the Hall's attention. That's the good news. The bad: The clock is ticking. Eligible for the Classes of 2025 and '26, Allen has only two more years to be elected as a modern-era player. But if that doesn't happen, he moves to the seniors' category where the pool is so deep with Hall-of-Fame worthy candidates it can take decades to emerge. 

So, now the question: Will Eric Allen's case be similar to those of cornerbacks Everson Walls and Albert Lewis, All-Pros who made the Final 15 in their last years of modern-era eligibility? Each failed to be inducted. Or will it be strong enough to convince voters to prevent him from suffering a similar fate? 

The difference, of course, is where Walls and Lewis had only one try, Allen could have two more. That's why 2025 should offer a clue. If he advances into the Top 10, it's encouraging. If he doesn't, as happened this year, it's not. All I know is that Eric Allen has what it takes to be a Hall-of-Famer, and it would be a shame to send him to the seniors' committee.

He deserves better.