Jared Allen uses Hall of Fame speech to share faith: ‘put Christ first’ above all else

The newest defensive lineman in the Pro Football Hall of Fame told a national audience last weekend his life will be a failure if he is remembered only for football, as he urged listeners to “put Christ first” in all they do.

Jared Allen was inducted into the Hall of Fame Aug. 2 in Canton, Ohio, following a career that saw him become one of the NFL’s most feared pass rushers, leading the league in sacks twice and earning four first-team All-Pro selections. His 136 career sacks rank 12th in NFL history, and his 22 in 2011 stand as the fourth-highest single-season total ever.

He began his career with Kansas City before becoming a star with Minnesota and finishing with Chicago and Carolina.

But all of that, he said, is secondary to his faith and family.

“Always put Christ first, find your ‘why,’ dream big dreams, and always pursue greatness in whatever you do,” he said, addressing his two daughters, but also the audience.

The “why” in life, he said, is “what drives you to get up and take whatever steps necessary to achieve your goal.”

His Christian faith and his family were front and center during his Hall of Fame speech. He recalled what Vikings chaplain Tom Lamphere told him during premarital counseling: “He said the two most important decisions you’ll make in life is, one, whether you follow Jesus or not, and two is who you marry.” His wife, he said, encourages him and lifts him up each day.

“You’re one of the smartest people I know. I am in awe of you every single day, and I love you more than life itself.”

His two daughters, he said, are his true legacy. The gold jacket given to him for joining the Hall of Fame, he said, means nothing compared to what truly matters.

“Through this [Hall of Fame] process, the word ‘legacy’ has been talked about a lot,” he said. “… I’m here to tell you two, you are my greatest accomplishments. When I get called home to heaven one day, if all they talk about is this gold jacket, my career – then I failed miserably as a father, a husband and a friend. You two are my legacy. You’re both so talented, and I cannot wait to see what you decide to do and to conquer this world.”

Allen even cited Scripture, saying Philippians 4:11-12 was a fitting description of his own father, who was in the crowd.

“The verse reads, ‘I’m not saying this because I’m in need, for I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.’

“You never let circumstances affect your joy,” he told his father. “You were a constant example of hard work. You taught me work ethic, and most importantly, your consistent belief in me gave me the confidence to achieve greatness, and I love you for that.”

His mother, he said, was “always a source of compassion and grace, always there with a prayer, even when I was a complete knucklehead.”

Allen told the Sports Spectrum Podcast he grew up in the church and sees a parallel between sports and faith.

“In sports, you get out of it what you put into it,” he told Sports Spectrum.

“… And that’s the same thing with your faith, right? Christ – He tells us what you put into it, ‘you seek Me and I’ll be there.’ And so that’s kind of what I love about the relationship of faith and sports is that they really go hand in hand.”