Allen, Marcus
Football
b. March 26, 1960, San Diego, CA
6-2, 210, RB. After starring as a quarterback and defensive back in high school, the heavily-recruited Allen went to the University of Southern California. A tailback as a freshman, he moved to fullback in his sophomore year and was used mostly as a blocker for Charles White, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1979.
Allen returned to tailback in 1980 and led the nation in all purpose yards with an average of 179.4 per game. As a senior, he set NCAA records for rushing yards with 2,432; most 200-yard games with 8; highest average rushing yards per game, 212.9; and most all-purpose yards, 2,550. He was a consensus All-American and won both the Heisman and Maxwell Trophies as the outstanding college player of the year.
The first draft choice of the NFL's Los Angeles Raiders, Allen was The Sporting News rookie of the year in 1982, when he rushed for 697 yards and led the league in touchdowns with 14. He gained more than 1,000 yards each of the next three seasons, with a high of 1,759 yards in 1985, when he led the NFL. He set a record with 2,314 total yards rushing and receiving and was named the league's player of the year.
Allen's production fell off for the next three seasons, when he averaged less than 4 yards a carry, and he missed much of the 1989 season with a knee injury. Relegated to part-time play from 1990 through 1992, he was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993 as an unrestricted free agent. Given more playing time, he had a fine season, rushing for 764 yards and leading the AFC with 15 touchdowns.
A consensus All-Pro in 1982 and 1985, Allen was named most valuable player when the Raiders beat the Washington Redskins 38-9 in Super Bowl XVIII to win the 1983 NFL championship. He carried 20 times for 191 yards and scored 2 touchdowns in the game. From October 28, 1985, through September 14, 1986, Allen rushed for more than 100 yards in 11 consecutive games, breaking Walter Payton's record.
His production then dropped, he missed half of 1989 season with knee injury, and he became a part-time player for the next three years. He joined the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent in 1993, when he led the AFC with 15 touchdowns. Allen retired after the 1997 season.