Eagles Cornerback Once Again A Finalist For Pro Football Hall Of Fame

The Philadelphia Eagles cornerback had 58 icareer nterceptions but has yet to earn the game's highest honor with enshrinement into the Hall of Fame, and is running out of chances.

Sep 22, 1991; Philadlephia, PA, USA;Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Eric Allen (21) on the field against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Veterans Stadium. FILE PHOTO; Mandatory Credit: Imagn Images / RVR Photos-Imagn Images

Eric Allen has been down this road before to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, only to find a dead end inexplicably blocking his path. He is back on that track this year after once again being named a finalist for this year’s class of potential inductees on Saturday.

For some reason, Allen hasn't been able to take that next step to enshrinement, despite credentials that are better than some of the cornerbacks whose busts already decorate the Hall’s hallowed grounds.

Last year, Allen was a finalist but did not earn the 80 percent of votes by the committee to achieve the honor.

This is his 19th year of eligibility after retiring following the 2001 season. To be eligible, a player must be retired from the game for five years. There is a 20-year window for a player to get into the Hall before his name is removed from the ballot, at which time his fate will rest in the hands of the Hall of Fame Seniors Committee.

It was the Seniors Committee that voted Eagles receiver Harold Carmichael into the Hall in 2020. So, Allen is running out of time.

He was selected in the second round of the 1988 draft, the 30th pick overall, which, with 32 teams in the league now, would have made him a first-rounder. His impact was immediate, with five interceptions to earn a spot on the Pro Football Writers Association’s all-rookie team.

Allen followed up with eight interceptions in his second season to earn All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl spot. He intercepted at least three passes in his first seven seasons and 10 times in his 14-year career.

He collected 58 interceptions in his career, which are tied for the eighth-most by a cornerback in league history, and he returned eight of them for touchdowns. Thirty-four of those picks came with the Eagles, which ties him for the most in team history with Bill Bradley and Brian Dawkins.

There are 45 defensive backs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but just four who had 58 career interceptions and at least eight interception returns for touchdowns in their careers. And only two of those four – Aeneas Williams and Deion Sanders – reached those milestones as full-time cornerbacks.

Allen was named to the Eagles’ 75th Anniversary Team in 2007 and was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2011.

The Hall’s other finalists including six first-time finalists:

Eli Manning

Luke Kuechly

Steve Smith, Jr

Terrell Suggs

Adam Vinatieri

Marshal Yanda

The others are:

Jared Allen (five-time finalist)

Willie Anderson (4)

Jahri Evans (2)

Antonio Gates (2)

Torry Holt (6)

Fred Taylor (2)

Reggie Wayne (6)

Darren Woodson (3)

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