At the ripe age of 32, Kenny Dillingham took the reins at ASU, flipping the script from 3-9 to a solid 11-3 at Tempe Valley, playing the Peach Bowl in Atlanta. Well, everyone was impressed. The roster, the program, the board. And it showed, didn’t it? As he received a contract amendment—$5.8 million in 2025—a $1.7 million raise. Off the turf as well, he isn’t the one to let a golden opportunity slide, and the recent ASU Hall of Fame achievement has given just the right amount of prestige for Dillingham to flex his Sun Devil pride.

After nearly two decades of holding on to patience, the Hall of Famer jacket finally hit home as Eric Allen was inducted into the Class of 2025 Pro Hall of Fame. A proud moment for Tempe Valley indeed, and Dillingham is on cloud nine, grinning from ear to ear with the prestigious achievement ASU raked in its Hall of Fame stash. Banking on the buzz, Pro Football also released data on the colleges that have produced the most HOF Players all-time. ASU clinched the No. 9th spot in the list, with six HOF inductees. Dillingham saw the chance and flexed hard by reposting Fox Sport’s tweet.

“He locked down receivers. Now, he’s locked into football history. Celebrate Sun Devil legend Eric Allen as he’s inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Sun Devil Football tweeted.

University of Southern California topped the charts with 14 inductees, followed by Miami and Notre Dame with 11 inductees. The list further includes Pittsburgh with 10, then Michigan, boasting 9. Ohio State has 9, Alabama and Syracuse have 8 inductees. LSU, Penn State, and UCLA also found their name with six inductees each.

It’s always a proud moment for the alumni to bask in the glory of their alma mater. And the Arizona Sun Devils are surely cherishing the moment as Eric Allen reels back to his college days during his HOF speech.

“Freedom to call my own plays:” ASU alum Eric Allen’s lit speech at Tom Benson Stadium

“Find anywhere, just my dad to be consistent. Just kind of the way he played, the way he goes about his business,” Austin Allen expressed his pride as he presented the 2025 Hall of Fame to his father and former Sun Devils’ CB Eric Allen. And what a cherished moment it was indeed.

Arriving in 1984, Allen quickly rose to the heights. During his time at Tempe Valley, he participated in three bowl games, wrapping up his college career with 15 interceptions, out of which eight he tallied in his senior year. “He had the biggest smile of anyone,” as former ASU WR Don Bocchi once recalled Allen’s charm. His cheery spirit lifted the mood at Tempe. “He would wear the smile to practice, away from practice, during practice,” Bocchi said per Cronkite News.

Not just the team members, his sons are also locked in on his determination to play gridiron. Jordan Allen painted his dad’s commitment. “He’s dedicated about his craft and passionate about football.” And indeed, Allen’s journey was full of sweet hustle and cherished grind. He went on to earn All-Pac-10 honors and was named an AP Honorable Mention All-American. What followed next was a 14-year NFL career, playing across the Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, and Oakland Raiders, stashing six Pro Bowl selections in his bag.

Speaking on the podium, rocking the gold jacket and beaming with pride, Allen fondly reminisced about his college grind. “Those coaches demanded loyalty, commitment, and dedication. They gave me the freedom to call my own plays,” thanking his teammates, coaches, family, and fam.

Along with Eric Allen, other Class of 2025 inductees include: Antonio Gates, Jared Allen, and Sterling Harpe, who received their Gold jackets inside Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on August 2.