“That meant more to him than anything. But I think he would be absolutely stoked. He’d be sitting right here with my Vikings jersey on rooting me on.”
Growing up meant marrying Amy. Having two girls, Brinley, 13, and Lakelyn, 10. And starting his foundation, Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors, in 2009.
And now, at the still tender age of 42, Allen soon will have a bronzed bust made that will reside in Canton, Ohio, long after any of us are around.
“Yeah, but I could have gone in when I was 39,” Allen joked. “But, honestly, now that it’s over, you appreciate it maybe a little more. I’ve talked to a lot of guys through this whole process. [Vikings Hall of Famer] Cris Carter, it took him six years. He told me the sting goes away. And no one can take this away. I’m in there forever.”