Hiram Moreno
The NFL had better be prepared since a speedster has arrived in the league. Devon Allen, who signed a rookie deal with the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason, showed his athletic prowess off this past weekend by winning the 110-meter hurdle race at the USATF NYC Grand Prix.
Devon Allen not only won the competition, but the Philadelphia Eagles’ new wide receiver also posted the third-fastest time ever on such a track at 12.84 seconds, coming just four-thousandths of a second short of breaking the world record (12.80).
And it goes without saying that Devon Allen did not face worthy competition in the race, as one of his rivals was none other than Grant Holloway, silver medalist in the 110 m steeplechase at the Tokyo Olympics. Holloway finished second with a time of 13:06, and saw his record nearly broken, as he currently holds the second-fastest time in history at 12.81.
The wide receiver has improved in his athleticism over the years, finishing fifth at the 2016 Olympics with a time of 13.31, and fourth in Tokyo last year with a time of 13.21.
However, American football is a sport that he has not practiced for quite some time, since he has not been part of the discipline since 2016 when he was a member of the ranks of the Oregon Ducks, so he will have to readapt.
Devon Allen, a New Multifaceted Athlete in the NFL
Devon Allen isn’t the first multisport player the NFL has had in recent years.
It’s worth remembering that Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray was selected in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics, and was also selected in the 2019 NFL Draft by his current team.
Murray has been a terrific performer since coming into the league, and it remains to be seen if Devon Allen can deliver at a good level, and while the precedent is pretty good for the player, he will have competition in the role.
