Marcus Allen

Lore & Background

Allen played for the Los Angeles Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs, not the Los Angeles Rams. He was drafted 10th overall in the 1982 NFL draft. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1981, was named NFL MVP in 1985 while with the Raiders, and was Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XVIII. He is the only player to have won the Heisman Trophy, been named Unanimous All-American, won an AFCA National Championship Trophy, the Super Bowl, and been named NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP.

In Their Own Story

The noise at the Coliseum was deafening, a wall of sound that seemed to vibrate through the turf itself. Marcus Allen took the snap, his eyes scanning the defensive line for a sliver of daylight. He lowered his shoulder, absorbing the hit from a linebacker with the force of a freight train, yet he didn't stumble. Instead, he surged forward, finding a seam in the chaos. With the ball tucked tight and his cleats digging deep into the grass, Allen sprinted toward the end zone, leaving defenders grasping at air, a blur of blue and yellow rewriting history in real time.

Reader's Guide

Marcus Allen played college football at USC from 1978 to 1981, winning the Heisman Trophy in 1981. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders in 1982 and played for them through 1992, then played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1993 to 1997. He retired after the 1997 season. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003.

Did You Know?

• Allen was the first NFL player to gain more than 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards during his career.
• He shares the NCAA record for most 200-yard rushing games with Ricky Williams and Ron Dayne, each with twelve such games.
• Allen's 74-yard touchdown run in Super Bowl XVIII was the longest in Super Bowl history until Willie Parker's 75-yard run in Super Bowl XL.
• He was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 1993 by the Pro Football Writers Association.