Jared Allen

Full name: Jared Scot Allen

Birthdate: April 3, 1982

Birthplace: Dallas, Texas

High school: Live Oak (Calif.); Los Gatos (Calif.)

Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame: Jan. 14, 2025

Other members of the Class of 2025: Eric Allen, Antonio Gates, Sterling Sharpe.

Pro career: 12 seasons, 187 games.

Drafted: 4th round (126th overall) in 2004 by Kansas City Chiefs

Uniform number: 69

You'd think they'd figure out we're tall on this stage here.

Hopefully y'all can hear me. OK, first off, thank you so much to the Hall of Fame and all the volunteers. It's been a fantastic weekend so far. To the audience: I know Canton's not always easy to get to. So thank you for showing up and making this day special.

To every single one of these men on this stage wearing a Gold Jacket: It is an honor, and it is a privilege, to stand up here with you. I watched a majority of you guys growing up. So this is a real thrill. 

And most importantly, thanks to all the men and women who served this country bravely that make a day like today possible.

So people always ask, how did I get here? Why was I better than others? And usually, fans have really bad timing, and they ask these questions when you're at dinner or you're with, you know, watching your kids sporting events. So I usually make some crap up. I make it up. I'm like, "You know what? You got to eat three jalapeno peppers before every game, because you got to have a burning in your gut." And I feel bad about that now, because there's probably some kid out there with some serious gut issues because his dad was just jamming peppers in his mouth before every game. 

So my apologies for that.

But seriously ...

So I was a PR/marketing major in college, and my family and friends right now are probably wondering, "Why on earth is a guy who dropped out of college -- twice -- talking about his college major?" It's because of marketing and branding. There's a concept that's called "Sell your 'Why'", right? The "What" is your product. There's a million "What's" in this world. But the "Why" is what makes you different. The "Why" is your long game. It's what drives you to get up and take whatever steps necessary to achieve your goal. 

So my "Why" can be summed up with three things: fear, respect and the pursuit of greatness. 

When I talk about fear, I'm not talking about that type of fear that cripples you and makes you avoid something. I'm talking about that healthy fear of failure, that fear that motivates you to do whatever you can to succeed, that type of fear that lets you get knocked down and then realize you don't want to get knocked down again, so you pick yourself up, you learn and you improve.

And respect: I've only played this game for two reasons: the respect of my peers and the respect of those who came before me. I will never forget the day I got an email from Jack Youngblood telling me that he thought I played the game the right way. That, to me, is worth more than any All-Pro I've ever gotten.

And the pursuit of greatness: When you respect something or someone so much that you want to honor that thing or that person by being the best you can possibly be. That was why I had the NFL sack leaders taped up in my locker every season, so I could show up to work and physically see greatness and never allow myself to feel like I arrived. 

And I apply this "Why" to everything in my life -- to my walk with Christ, to my marriage, to being a father. You name it, you got to have a "Why."

So another fun fact about me is I love history, and I actually changed my major to history before I dropped out for the second time. 

Parents are probably wondering, "We are not giving good school talks up here right now." 

So I asked Jim Porter when I got ... why gold was chosen for the color of the jacket, thinking there might be a deeper reason, other than the obvious, that gold represents the best. Surprisingly, there was not. So I like to believe it's because gold is a reflective metal. Because none of us stand on this stage alone. 

This jacket is a direct reflection of all of you who have poured into my life and in my career. I might be the one wearing this jacket, but I hope every time you see this jacket, you see yourself. 

So to the fans: Thank you for showing up -- rain, shine or snow -- for spending your hard-earned money to come watch us play. It's because of you that we have jobs and that this is the greatest sport on Earth. 

To the organizations ...

The Panthers: Thank you for making the trade and allowing me to finish my career with my hand in the dirt and being able to play in Super Bowl 50 in my hometown. And even though we didn't win, it was a heck of a way to end my career.

The Bears: (pause) Yeah, well ... I'm teasing. Listen, when you blow your back out, you blow your L-5 out, catch pneumonia, you only have five sacks, I don't think they were too happy, either. But you cannot have the game of football without the Halas family. So thank you so much. And Kevin Warren, I love you. I wish you all the best when you guys play, except for the Vikings. 

So to the Chiefs: I cannot thank the Hunt family enough for making an 8-year-old kid's dream come true. To be drafted to such a storied franchise was absolutely incredible, and I'll never forget the embraces the great Lamar Hunt would give after every single game. And it didn't matter if you were half naked or fully dressed, he was going to give you a big old bear hug and tell you he appreciated you.

And of course, the Vikings.

So as a Norseman by blood, because I am Norwegian, it was only fitting that I became a Viking. And first off, hoping it gets guy in trouble, I want to say quick thanks to Glaze for making it happen. You avoided ... you may have helped us avoid some tampering issues, and you know what? Appreciate you working that one out. 

But Rick, Rob, George, Kevin, Pico, Brad and the entire Wilf family: I don't think I can ever truly express the depths of my gratitude to your entire organization. I'm a firm believer that God puts people in your life at the appropriate times, and what you did for the growth of my career, but more importantly, the people that you surrounded me with in that organization helped me grow as a man. That is why I will forever call the Vikings my home. 

And to my coaches ...

And when you play for four teams, you got a lot of them. I repeat what I said earlier. This jacket is a direct reflection of all your efforts. I was blessed to have played with some of the greatest coaches this game has to offer, from Pat McGrady, my Pop Warner coach; to Mark Rhea and Larry Lewis, my Idaho State coaches, who took me from outside linebacker and said, "Hey, why don't we try putting your hand in the dirt for a week?" And here we are, 25 later standing in Canton, Ohio. 

And then, of course, the pros. To be able to play for the likes of Coach Vermeil, Herm Edwards, Brad Childress, Leslie Frazier, John Fox and Ron Rivera. My position coaches, like the late, great Bob Karmelowitz. Bob was a master of technician or of technique, sorry.

We would spend countless hours talking about big bones on little bones and how to manipulate an offensive tackle to get what you want to get, to gain fractions of a second in the rush. To Tim Krumrie, who would, no joke, wrestle a toddler if you had to, just because that's what Timmy did. And of course, the Beastmaster himself, Karl Dunbar, you guys held me to a standard of greatness every single day. And I cannot say thank you enough, because you got me to where I'm at. 

And, of course, I can't leave out the greatest strength coach ever, the Colonel, Tom Kanavy. If you don't know him, get to know him. It will change your life. 

So my teammates ...

I literally can speak for hours. I won't. I won't. I learned from Brett.

Seven of them are wearing Gold Jackets, right? When you have to battle guys like Willie Roaf, Will Shields, Steve Hutchinson on a daily, you either get better or you get fired. That's the only two options you got. And I took something from each and every one of you. I have a scar on my rib cage from Will Shields. I took one -- excuse me, kids, for this -- but I took one of the best ass-whoopings I've ever taken from Willie Roaf my rookie year.

We were doing a half line drill back when you could still hit people in training camp, and I locked Willie out. Greg Wesley came down from the safety position, smacked Priest Holmes right in the mouth. Victory defense. Coach Vermeil was not having it. We had to do it again. So I hit Willie again. I went to lock him out. This time, for some reason, my feet were in the air, and he was driving me about 7 yards down the other way. He dumped me on my head, and when I tried to get up, he speared me in my back. And I knew right then and there, there was levels of this game, and if I could make Willie Roaf my friend and learn how to beat him, I would be all right in the NFL.

Appreciate you, Willie.

I learned how to be a pro from guys like E Hicks and Vonnie Holiday. Ty Law taught me the importance of rush and coverage working together. This jacket is a byproduct of not trying to be one of the best D-ends in the league. I was just trying to be one of the best D-linemen in our room. And of course had guys like John Browning and the Williams wall: Pat and Kevin. Man, you guys pushed me to new levels. And Kevin, I cannot wait to be sitting in these stands or on this stage when we celebrate you one day. You are a true, amazing player, my friend.

And if it weren't for the guys like Ben Lieber, Chad Greenway, E.J. Henderson, Antoine Winfield, Peanut Tillman, Roman Harper, I mean, the list goes on and on and on. That always had my back. Allowed me to play free up front. I would not be standing here today. I have no doubt that everybody on this stage would say the exact same thing. We did not get here without great teammates. 

So to my agent, Ken; my financial guy, Jeff: You guys are two of my greatest teammates I've ever had. Thank you for your loyalty, your honesty over the years, and you are truly family. I can't thank you guys enough for the role you played in my life.

And then my family ...

My dad: I'm reminded of Philippians 4, 11 to 12 verses. Sorry, Philippians, 4, verse 11 and 12. The verse reads, "I'm not saying this because I'm in need for I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty." You never let circumstances affect your joy. You were a constant example of hard work. You taught me work ethic, and most importantly, your consistent belief in me gave me the confidence to achieve greatness, and I love you for that.

Tear hadn't come down. Anybody betting out there, haven't come yet. 

And my mom: You were always a source of compassion and grace, always there with a prayer, even when I was a complete knucklehead. And he never judged me, at least not to my face, so I appreciate that.

My stepdad, Vic: Whether you knew it or not, you taught me so much. You've been successful in everything you do, and by watching you I learned about process. And if you have the right process and you take the right steps, you will succeed in anything you do. You're always well-informed, well-read. So that made me want to not be the dumbest person in the room, so I'd appreciate it.

And to my wife ...

I'm reminded of what Tom Lamphere said when we were going through our premarital counseling. He said the two most important decisions you'll make in life is one, whether you follow Jesus or not, and two is who you marry. Because there's only two types of people. There's boat anchors who drag you down, and there's people who elevate you, and you are a true game elevator. You're one of the smartest people I know. I am in awe of you every single day, and I love you more than life itself.

To my amazing daughters, Brinley and Lakelyn. Through this process, the word "legacy" has been talked about a lot. The Hall often says they're here to tell my story. Well, I'm here to tell you two you are my greatest accomplishments. When I get called home to heaven one day, if all they talk about is this Gold Jacket, my career, then I failed miserably as a father, a husband and a friend.

You two are my legacy. You were both so talented, and I cannot wait to see what you decide to do and to conquer this world. So always put Christ first, find your "Why," dream big dreams and always pursue greatness in whatever you do. 

Thank you all, and may God bless you all.