Eric Allen, the brilliant cornerback who spent the first seven years of his career with the Eagles, is one step closer to Hall of Fame enshrinement.
Allen on Wednesday evening was named one of 15 modern-era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024. It’s his first time as a finalist in his fourth year as a semifinalist.
Allen made five Pro Bowl teams and one 1st-team all-pro in his seven years with the Eagles and made a sixth Pro Bowl with the Saints. He finished his 14-year career with the Eagles, Saints and Raiders with 54 regular-season interceptions and eight pick-6’s as well as four postseason INTs and a ninth pick-6.
There are 23 cornerbacks and 45 defensive backs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Only four of them had 58 career interceptions and nine interception returns for touchdowns in their entire career.
Of those four, only two did it as full-time cornerbacks – Aeneas Williams and Deion Sanders. The others, Charles Woodson and Rod Woodson, only reached those marks after converting to safety.
So Allen has more interceptions and return touchdowns than 41 of 45 Hall of Fame defensive backs and 21 of 23 Hall of Fame cornerbacks.
Allen is the only cornerback and one of only two defensive backs among the 15 finalists, which could help his chances to finally make the Hall. The other d-back among the finalists is former Cowboys safety Darren Woodson, a contempory of Allen’s in the NFC East from 1992 through 1994.
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