Having Roots Deep in NFL, Philadelphia Eagles WR Braces to Jump Over Hurdles Following His Olympic Dream

One would never think that sports like Track and Field and NFL could go together. However, Devon Allen is proving us all wrong every day. The 28-year-old athlete is successfully shuffling between being an Olympic-level track and field persona and the new wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, and it seems like he is doing it without breaking a sweat.

Allen has been a track and field superstar since he was 10-11 years old and has been hurdling since he broke the state record 110m hurdles. When it comes to NFL, Devon Allen has dreamed of being a football player since he was 5 years old. In 2022, the dream finally came true. With Allen being the perfect flag bearer of both sports, one has to think, how does he do it?

Devon Allen has a lot left to prove

Many might be satisfied with becoming good at one sport, but for this Phoenix-born wonder, it’s just not enough. This is why Allen has been slowly making his way to become not only the best 110m hurdler but also the fastest wide receiver in the NFL, if he already is not. While the same has not been settled yet, Allen does think he is the fastest, as he once told TMZ, “I definitely am [the fastest].”

Being fast is a vocation, this champion takes very seriously, and a dream that also acts as a motivator for him. According to USA Today, Allen said, “…it does give me an emphasis on what’s important ? being fast, being strong and being healthy. So that’s what I focus on.” Herein lies the secret behind his success. As a track and field athlete, Devon Allen was able to reach the top 8 in the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games and managed to emerge victorious in the National Championships thrice. After he was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, the new wide receiver spent the entire season practicing with the team.

Read more: 26-Year-Old NFL Star Shatters Records With Lightning-Fast Hurdles Time, Secures 4th-Fastest Rank on the Planet

Post that, he returned to the track, and was able to record the seventh-fastest time in the world in his event this year. Even after reaching such enormous heights, Allen is not done. As he said, “I still have a lot to accomplish in both sports.” In his quest for excellence, this athlete has managed to find similarities between football and track and somehow managed to bridge the gaps as well. Although, he still dreams of making it big at the World Championships and the Super Bowl.

Dreams achieved and dreams awaiting

Last month, Daevon Allen came second in the NYC Grand Prix and then revealed the still hoped to go a long way. On track, he wishes to garner more World Championships, medals and sponsorships. As regards football, he wants to win a Super Bowl. In 2012, even though Allen was interested in playing football, he decided to concentrate on the Olympics instead. 10 years later, he started living his other dream as a wide receiver, after a 6-year-long hiatus from the sport.

To excel in football, one has to lower their center of gravity, while the sport of track and field is completely opposite in this regard. Allen’s dedication, however, knows no bounds. He has been practicing football till 2 p.m. and then getting in his track workouts post-practice. The most important thing, according to him, is to strike a balance between being healthy and competing, be it any sport. Allen said, “It doesn?t matter how much you train if you?re hurt. If you can?t show up to a meet and compete, it doesn?t matter.” Sounds like the words of a champion.

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