Sep 28, 2013; London, UNITED KINGDOM; Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen (69) at the NFL on Regent Street block party in advance of the NFL International Series game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Vikings. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings are set to play the New York Jets in Week 5 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. Vikings fans in attendance will witness Jaren Allen named to the NFL London games Ring of Honor as one of the first two inductees.
The London Games Ring of Honor is new for this year, and the inaugural inductions will take place at halftime of the Vikings vs. Jets game. Amid the excitement unfolding in Minneapolis, the Vikings put a stomping on the Houston Texans. Sky Sports in the UK announced that Allen, already a member of the Vikings Ring of Honor, would be entering into the London Games version.
Fellow defensive end Osi Umenyiora will join Allen as the first two inductees. London-born Umenyiora was an obvious choice as the first man in. A two-time Super Bowl winner with the New York Giants, he is also in the Giants Ring of Honor. Following his retirement from football, Umenyiora went into the broadcasting side of the game and has been an award-winning pundit for the UK’s coverage of the NFL.
The Vikings were awarded one of the international home marketing initiatives for the UK back in 2021. That, as well as the Vikings playing as the home team in the game where the inductions take place, will have heavily influenced why a Vikings player was chosen. Allen was a fitting choice. He is a great player, a great personality, and someone who appeared on stage shows and broadcasts in the UK many times, playing his part in aiding the growth of the sport in that country.
Allen may have been passed over for the Hall of Fame for the past four years, but there is no doubting his greatness. Allen amassed an impressive 136 across a 12-year career, but it wasn’t just his proficiency at getting to the opposing quarterback that made him great. He made the game look fun with his ferocious play style and live-wire personality.
Allen is no stranger to accolades, he was a four-time first-team All-Pro, five-times pro bowler, and two-time sack leader during his playing career. His swan song came in 2015 with one season with the Carolina Panthers where he would play in Super Bowl 50. The Panthers lost the game to the Denver Broncos. It was a fine career that now has another accolade to add to it.
All that remains is for Allen to finally get his place in Canton.