Editing Marcus Allen (section)

==Professional career==
[[File:1986 Jeno's Pizza - 52 - Marcus Allen (Marcus Allen crop).jpg|thumb|left|Allen led the Raiders to a championship in [[Super Bowl XVIII]] and earned [[Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] honors as he rushed for a record of 191 yards, including a memorable 74-yard touchdown run.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Harvey |first=Harvey |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jjICvznh_cUC&q=marcus+allen+Super+Bowl+XVIII&pg=PA122 |title=The Super Bowl's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Big-Game Heroes, Pigskin Zeroes, and Championship Oddities |publisher=Brassey's, Inc. |year=2002 |isbn=9781612340289 |edition=1st |page=123}}</ref>]]
Allen was drafted as the 10th overall pick in the [[1982 NFL draft]] by the [[Las Vegas Raiders|Los Angeles Raiders]].<ref name="greatath">{{Cite book |last=Jensen |first=Jeffry |url=https://archive.org/details/greatathletes0000unse/page/42 |title=Great Athletes |publisher=Salem Press |year=2002 |isbn=1-58765-008-8 |editor-last=Dawson |editor-first=Dawn P |edition=Revised |volume=1 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/greatathletes0000unse/page/42 42–45] |orig-year=1992}}</ref> Allen was pleased that he didn't have to travel as the team had just relocated from Oakland. Allen has recalled that shortly before being drafted the Raiders asked him his weight (he answered 200 or 212) and then drafted him soon after. Though his rookie season was shortened by a league strike, Allen rushed for 697 yards and led the Raiders to the best record in the [[American Football Conference|AFC]] at 8–1. He was voted the [[NFL Rookie of the Year Award|NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year]].<ref name="greatath" /> The Raiders lost to the [[New York Jets]] in the AFC Divisional Playoffs.

The next season, Allen broke the 1,000-yard mark for the first time, an accomplishment he would repeat the two following years.<ref name="greatath" /> During the [[1985 NFL season|1985 season]], he rushed for 1,759 yards and scored 11 touchdowns on 380 carries, leading the Raiders to a 12–4 record and the [[AFC West]] Division Championship. In addition, Allen was named the [[National Football League Most Valuable Player Award|NFL MVP]].<ref name="greatath" />

In [[Super Bowl XVIII]] on January 22, 1984, Allen ran for 191 yards, caught two passes for 18 yards, and scored two touchdowns in the Raiders' 38–9 victory over the [[Washington Redskins]].<ref name="greatath" /> Included in his stats was a 74-yard touchdown run,<ref name="greatath" /> a feat that remained the longest run in Super Bowl history until [[Willie Parker]]'s 75-yard run in [[Super Bowl XL]]. Allen's 191 rushing yards were also a Super Bowl record, which stood until [[Timmy Smith]] of the Redskins topped it with 204 yards in [[Super Bowl XXII]]. Upon winning the game, Allen joined a small group of players to win both the Heisman Trophy and [[Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award|Super Bowl MVP]] ([[Roger Staubach]], [[Jim Plunkett]], and later [[Desmond Howard]]).{{citation needed|date=June 2016}} In total, Allen rushed 58 times for 466 yards and four touchdowns during the playoffs. He also added 118 yards and one touchdown on 14 receptions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Marcus Allen Game Logs |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AlleMa00_playoffs.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725151018/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AlleMa00_playoffs.htm |archive-date=July 25, 2008 |access-date=May 11, 2009 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference}}</ref>
[[Image:1985 Police Raiders-Rams - 01 Marcus Allen (crop).jpg|thumb|Allen playing for the Raiders in 1984 where he rushed for 1,168 yards, scored 18 touchdowns and led the Raiders to their third consecutive playoff appearance.]]

Allen ended the 1985 season on a strong note, finishing the year as the NFL rushing leader with 9 consecutive 100-yard games.

From 1987 through 1990, Allen shared the backfield with [[Bo Jackson]]. Initially, Allen was commended for his gracious nature and team spirit for sharing the spotlight during the prime of his career.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-12-04-sp-17799-story.html|title = Archives|website = [[Los Angeles Times]]| date=December 4, 1987 }}</ref> In later seasons with the Raiders, Allen had a stormy relationship with owner [[Al Davis]] stemming from a contract dispute; Davis referred to Allen as a "cancer to the team."<ref name="contract">{{Cite web |last=Gay |first=Nancy |date=August 4, 2003 |title=Raiders Notebook: Classy Allen has the last word on his day |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/08/04/SP304723.DTL |access-date=May 11, 2009 |website=SFGate |publisher=Hearst Communications}}</ref> He also missed most of the [[1989 NFL season|1989 season]] with a knee injury. Allen was relegated to back-up duty in his final three seasons with the Raiders and, at one time, fell to fourth on the depth chart.<ref name="backup">{{Cite web |title=Allen relegated to back up duty |url=http://www.football.com/nfl/oaklandraiders/history.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905020715/http://www.football.com/nfl/oaklandraiders/history.html |archive-date=September 5, 2008 |access-date=August 19, 2008 |website=Football.com }}</ref> Allen's strained relationship with Davis reached an all-time low in December 1992. During halftime of the Raiders-[[Miami Dolphins|Dolphins]] game on [[Monday Night Football]], a taped interview between [[Al Michaels]] and Allen was broadcast in which Allen said that Davis "told me he was going to get me", adding, "I think he [Davis] tried to ruin the latter part of my career, tried to devalue me. He's trying to stop me from going to the Hall of Fame. They don't want me to play."<ref name="mondaynightfootball">{{Cite web |date=December 15, 1992 |title=Pro Football: Raiders' Allen Irked at Davis |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/15/sports/pro-football-raiders-allen-irked-at-davis.html |access-date=May 11, 2009 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>

Allen eventually left Los Angeles and joined the [[Kansas City Chiefs]] in 1993. Although he only rushed for 764 yards that year, he scored 12 touchdowns,<ref name="greatath" /> leading the AFC,<ref name="leading">{{Cite web |date=February 18, 2009 |title=Marcus Allen |url=http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/allenmar.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125022211/http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/allenmar.shtml |archive-date=January 25, 2013 |access-date=May 11, 2009 |website=HickokSports.com |publisher=Ralph Hickok}}</ref> as he and [[Joe Montana]] led the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game. Allen scored touchdowns in all three Chiefs playoff games that year, and was named the [[NFL Comeback Player of the Year]] by the [[Pro Football Writers Association]]. With the retirement of [[Eric Dickerson]] in 1993, Allen became the active leader in career rushing yards, a position he maintained until being passed by [[Barry Sanders]] in week 1 of 1997. Allen went on to play for the Chiefs for four more seasons, leading the team in rushing every year but his last.

Allen retired after the [[1997 NFL season|1997 season]].<ref name="greatath" /> In 1999, he was ranked 72nd on ''[[The Sporting News]]''' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. Allen was inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 2003. Allen was also inducted into the [[California Sports Hall of Fame]] in 2007.

In 1999,<ref>{{cite web |title=Marcus Allen legendary in '77 CIF title game |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/the-52/sdut-marcus-allen-raiders-nfl-cif-chiefs-usc-2014feb03-htmlstory.html |website=[[San Diego Union-Tribune]] |access-date=June 6, 2024 |date=February 3, 2014}}</ref> Allen was also inducted into the [[San Diego Hall of Champions]] Breitbard Hall of Fame.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20141010010127/http://www.sdhoc.com/news-media/breitbard-hall-fame-class-2015 "LT TOPS BREITBARD HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2015"]}}. San Diego Hall of Champions. 2015.</ref><ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150614021131/http://www.sdhoc.com/news-media/2014-Sandiego.com-article "We Are the Champions, of San Diego"]}}. San Diego Hal of Champions. September 18, 2014.</ref>

In 2008, Allen joined as a spokesman for the sports website OPENSports.com, the brainchild of [[Mike Levy]], founder and former CEO of [[CBS Sportsline.com]]. Allen wrote a blog and occasionally answered member questions for the company during this time.{{when|date=June 2016}}<ref name="open">{{Cite web |title=Marcus Allen |url=http://www.opensports.com/marcusallen |access-date=May 11, 2009 |website=OPEN Sports |publisher=OPEN Sports Network}}</ref>