Former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen last played in the NFL back in 2015, when he played for the Panthers for one season. Since then, he has not played the game of football; instead, he tried a new sport. He gave curling a try, as he hoped to make it to the Olympic team one day. It seems like he’s halfway there in his quest, as his curling team beat John Shuster and his team, who led his team to a gold medal in the 2018 Olympics.

This past Sunday, in the opening match of the US Championships, Allen, playing for Jason Smith’s team, beat Shuster’s team by 10-6. Notably, Smith’s team was behind for most of the match; eventually, they came back from behind to win in the end. If they win the whole tournament, Allen and co will represent team USA in the World Championships, which will take place in April.

Vikings legend Jared Allen opens up about trying a different sport after playing in the NFL

In 2018, Allen first started playing curling as a sport. Initially, he played in a team where other ex-NFL players, including quarterback Marc Bulger, linebacker Keith Bulluck, and offensive tackle Michael Roos played. After trying many times, Allen failed to make it to the 2022 Olympic team.

Speaking about playing a different sport, Allen said to Star Tribune, “I thought curling was going to be a lot easier than it was… But I’m one of those guys who, once I start something, I’m going to see it through. Our goal at nationals is to beat as many teams as we possibly can and see where we land.”

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Allen felt the skills he acquired in the NFL helped him massively to cope with curling. “It’s so different than what we’re used to as football players. I think that’s what’s kept me so intrigued, Like the short game in golf, it’s a game of finesse. You have to think two shots ahead. And you have to learn how to control your body, your emotions, your heart rate. That took some time to reset,” the former Vikings player further added. 

It is worth noting that Allen is competing third time in the US Championships this year. His ultimate goal is to make it to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

Allen is one of the finalists of the Pro Football Hall of Fame 2022

Apart from playing for the Vikings, Allen also played for the Chiefs, Bears, and Panthers in his 12-year career in the NFL. In 12 years, he played 187 games in the NFL. In those games, he had 136 sacks, and 648 combined tackles, which certainly made him one of the finalists of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.

Earlier, they garnered some controversies by excluding a few names. However, Allen’s inclusion is certainly not controversial, as he could be inducted into the Hall of Fame. They will announce the names this Thursday.

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