The Arizona Cardinals are a team that is always in the spotlight. They have been called for leading the league in wins, losing in heart-breaking fashion, and trading up for big name players. One of their latest acquisitions is Zach Allen. He’s an undrafted free agent who will be joining the team’s defensive line rotation. Here are some things to know about his life before he joined the NFL.
Introducing Zach Allen
There was a time when Allen didn’t think he would ever have the opportunity to play in the NFL. He was a walk-on at both Eastern Washington and UCLA. Then, he made a decision to take his game to a new level and he’s been proving himself ever since. He was able to make it onto the Pac 12 All-Academic team while he was at UCLA. He graduated from UCLA with a degree in Environmental Studies.
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Zach Allen career started off well at Eastern Washington, he was able to rack up 27 tackles for loss and 10 sacks as a freshman in 2015. He was also named Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year. The next season, his play dropped off. Allen told Sports Illustrated, “It was more like I was out there on sheer athleticism and that wouldn’t have helped me in the NFL.
Zach Allen in High School
Zach Allen was born and raised in Ormond Beach, Florida. His father played football at the University of Miami. His brothers played college football as well. He has three sisters, two who played volleyball at the University of Cincinnati. He attended Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach, Florida and he is currently still attending the University of Florida. In high school, he played basketball and ran track. He was part of the 4×100 relay that won the state championship.
Zach Allen’s Father, Jerry Allen, Was an NFL Defensive End
While in high school, his father was a defensive end for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 1988 NFL draft by the New York Jets. Allen’s father decided to go into the family restaurant business instead.
Zach Allen at the University of Tennessee
Zach Allen attended the University of Tennessee, where he played with the Volunteer football team from 2012-2016. He joined the team in 2011 as a redshirt freshman. During his four years there, he played in all 40 games that he was healthy enough to play in. He finished his career with 96 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and two passes defended.
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When he finished his time in Knoxville, Zach Allen was drafted by the New England Patriots in the 5th round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He was their only rookie from that draft that they kept for their roster. However, he didn’t make the Patriots roster out of training camp. He was then signed to the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad.
Throughout his time with the Bills, Zach Allen was inactive for two games.
The stats and awards that helped him become a professional athlete
First off, he did not play in college. He played Division I, where he played on the offensive line for the Washington State Cougars. He played in all thirteen of the team’s games during the 2017 season.
He recorded 37 total tackles during his college career.
He also received two All-Pac-12 honors while at WSU.
Allen signed with the Cardinals on April 26, 2018.
What will he bring to the team?
Currently, Allen has some raw talent. His physical attributes help, but his biggest asset is his competitive nature. He has not only come a long way from playing high school football, but he has also worked to get to this point. He has made appearances at NFL camps before, and will likely play his way onto the practice squad.
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His motivation for playing football
He explained to Craig Mish of Sirius XM NFL Radio why he wanted to play football. Allen told Mish: “It was just an overall desire for the sport of football, I just loved it. I felt like I had a connection, I saw what it could do for me personally and what it could do for me professionally and athletically. So I felt like it was something I had to get on with.”
His reasons for not doing pre-season games
Allen came from a smaller school to do the small school all over again. He went from Delaware (DII) to Arizona (FCS). Even though he was nervous, he said the only reason he wasn’t nervous was because he felt like he wasn’t going to get on the field anyways. Allen explained to Mish that he couldn’t go out and do some early preseason games so he would have a chance to learn the playbook.
