Toronto – Impeccably dressed in a pinstriped suit, crisp white
shirt and mauve polka dot tie, Damon Allen addressed a room full of
media and CFL officials for the final time as a Canadian Football
League player.
Stylish both on and off the field, Damon’s departure from the game did
not part from the script. He addressed the room with the class and
dignity that defined his 23 seasons in the CFL.
The one time 157-pound quarterback from San Diego has come a long way
since that day he first arrived on the Canadian football scene in
Edmonton where his teammates voted him most likely to freeze to death.
Hall of fame receiver Brian Kelly’s advice to him was simple: you must
learn to play in the cold to survive in the CFL.
Allen did more than survive in our league. He revolutionized the term
longevity. Possessing more lives than a cat, the nimble Allen continued
to defy all odds in the harshest of team sports. Each time he landed
with a new team the media was quick to declare his career over. As the
teams piled up and the injuries continued to befall the aged veteran he
persevered and thus it is his durability that Allen remains most proud
of when reflecting upon his career.
Of course, the numbers are not too shabby. Four Grey Cup rings; 72,381
yards passing; 11,914 yards rushing; 5,158 completed passes and 394
touchdowns through the air.
The self proclaimed “gym rat” was one of the first to arrive at the
practice facility and one of the last to head home. But at the end of
the day, Allen was “tired of getting hit by those 300-pound guys.”
Argos’ current General Manager, Adam Rita maintains a special
relationship with Allen. Rita and Allen spent 13 of Damon’s 23 CFL
seasons together. Of Rita’s six Grey Cup rings, three were a result of
Allen’s work on the field – 1993 (Edmonton), 2000 (BC), and 2004
(Toronto).
“I owe 50 per cent of my Grey Cup rings to Damon Allen,” says Rita,
tears in his eyes as he reminisced on their collective football
accomplishments.
Beyond the championships, Rita felt that Allen’s most significant
achievement came in the early 1990s when he made the naked bootleg look
like “magic”. Damon’s athletic ability was second to none at the
quarterback position and he was able to run his trademark play to
perfection. Allen’s knack for turning into a contortionist on the field
turned short gains into highlight reel runs.
Throughout a 23-year career stories will pile up to write a book if not
an encyclopedia. One of the great stories – or legends – of Damon Allen
stems from the 2004 Grey Cup in Ottawa. Prior to the game he gazed
around the room at his teammates. One by one he looked into their eyes
and stated: “I play this game for you.”
The Argos promptly went out and won the game and Allen walked away with MVP honours.
Teammates were always important to Allen, whether it was sharing a
laugh after practice or shooting a round of golf the day before a game.
While he won’t miss the onrushing defenders and grueling conditions
under centre, Allen emphasized that he will miss the day-to-day banter
in the locker room with his teammates.
To an outsider, Allen often came across as surly or disinterested, but
over time his warm demeanor would shine through. A perfect example was
his relationship with the media. It was a roller coaster ride, but
Allen concluded today by thanking the media for doing the job that they
do. Deep down you could tell that he was genuinely going to miss the
beat writers and like all fans of the CFL, the media will clearly miss
‘Number 9’ too.
Trying to put Damon Allen’s career into context may be near impossible.
He is a sure-thing for the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in addition
to being a winner and a champion. He will go down as the most prolific
quarterback in the history of the game based on the numbers and he will
forever be a part of our game.
