Jared Allen came to Minnesota with high expectations. The Minnesota Vikings traded a first- and two third-round picks for Allen and gave him a record-breaking six-year, $72.3 million contract. The Vikings defense had a strong run in 2007 but needed Allen to help improve the pass rush.
But first, he had to learn a new language.
Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, and defensive line coach Karl Dunbar picked Allen up from the airport, and Allen immediately was confused.
“Those are the three largest human beings I’ve ever seen,” Allen laughed. “They picked me up at the airport, and I get into the car. … Pat’s doing all the talking, and I don’t speak ‘Pat’ yet. So I got nothing to say.
“He has a gold chain and a neck tattoo, and I got a cowboy hat. I’m like, uh, we’re gonna be best friends, I think.”
Pat Williams howled as Allen recalled this story at his Hall of Fame press conference. The Vikings signed Williams, who grew up four hours north of New Orleans in Monroe, La., at age 33 in 2005. He and Kevin Williams formed the “Williams Wall.” Pat earned his three Pro Bowl nominations from ages 34 to 36.
“Not all of us had teenagers like Pat when we were playing,” Allen said, looking at Williams. “Pat’s kids were going to prom when we were playing. And I’m like, what? He’s the oldest human being in the NFL.”
Together with Ray Edwards, Minnesota’s front four spearheaded a defense that reached the NFC Championship in 2009. “If we go to the Super Bowl,” avers Allen, “we’re hands down winning it.”
Allen made lifelong friends despite never reaching the big game. Jasper Brinkley and Randall McDaniel attended the press conference. Ben Leber introduced his press conference and highlighted Allen’s Hall of Fame credentials: 2011 Defensive Player of the Year, four All-Pros, and 12th all-time in sacks.
Still, Allen says the relationships he fostered are more important than the numbers he produced.
“I met some amazing men in that Minnesota locker room,” said Allen, who also played with Chad Greenway and Antoine Winfield. “And that helped. You can not only emulate how you wanna be as a football player but as a human being as well. Great husbands, great fathers. And at the end of the day, that’s 10 times more important than anything we ever do on the football field.
“And so those are my greatest memories here. Because statistics, they’re gonna come and go. Someone’s gonna beat them all the time, right? Those memories, those lessons you learn, are what really stand the test of time.”
Allen played six years in Minnesota. He amassed 85.5 sacks, had four interceptions for 50 yards, and made four Pro Bowls. He was here for Brett Favre’s arrival and Adrian Peterson’s dominance. However, that car ride from the airport sticks with him.
“The minute I got in that car, [Pat] and Kevin started talking trash about how I couldn’t play the run,” Allen recalled. “And I’m like, ‘I just had 80 tackles. What are you talking about?’ So, every year, my goal wasn’t [to] worry about sacks. I was trying to beat these guys at tackling the run.”
Leber said that numbers didn’t do Allen’s game justice. He was relentless, tenacious, and disruptive. Above all else, Allen played to earn his teammates’ respect.
“All of us play this game because we want the respect of our peers,” said Leber. “If you ask any guy that plays at a high level, it’s not about the money we’ve made. It’s not about the stats. It’s not about the sacks.
“It’s not about this and that. It’s knowing that you can walk into the training room, the locker room, [and] the position room and know that the guys sitting next to you respect your game and respect who you are.”
“Ben nailed it,” said Allen. “I play for the respect of my peers and the respect of those who played before me.
Before he made the Hall of Fame, Allen had the respect of some of the game’s best players.
“I got an email from Jack Youngblood one time,” he continued, referring to the Hall of Fame defensive end.
“I don’t even know how he got my email address. He must be the CIA or something. But it was years ago, and he just thanked me for playing the game the right way. That right there, I’m good. I don’t need Pro Bowls. I don’t need anything. That right there, a hundred percent.”
After picking Allen up at the airport in 2008, the Williams boys, Dunbar, and Allen stopped at Redstone Grill. Allen looked at Pat as they ate, trying to translate his words into English.
“I just stared at his mouth in a non-creepy way,” he said. “And I’m just like, what is this dude saying? But I like it. It’s provocative.”
Allen is excited to call players like Youngblood, Bruce Smith, and Dick Butkus peers. However, he seemed just as giddy about reconnecting with his old teammates. He couldn’t hide the pride in his voice when he said he eventually figured out what Pat Williams was saying through that thick Louisiana accent.
