Marcus LeMarr Allen was born on March 26, 1960, and is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Raiders.
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Considered one of the greatest goal-line and short-yard runners in NFL history, he was selected 10th overall by the Raiders in the 1982 NFL Draft, following a successful college football career at USC. He was a member of the Raiders for 11 seasons and spent his last five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.
During his professional career, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards. He also scored 145 touchdowns, including a then-league-record 123 rushing touchdowns, and was elected to six Pro Bowls.
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While with the Raiders, he helped the team win Super Bowl XVIII. He was the first NFL player to gain more than 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards during his career.
Allen has the distinction of being the only player to have won the Heisman Trophy, an NCAA national championship, the Super Bowl, and be named NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP.
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He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003, and the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.
Marcus Allen (running back) Parents: Meet Harold Allen and Gwendolyn Allen
The parents of Los Angeles Raiders running back Marcus Allen want a neighborhood park or field named after their son, but some area residents question whether he deserves the honor.
Gwen and Harold Allen came up with the idea to name the Encanto Park and Recreation Center in honor of their son, who played Little League baseball in the east San Diego neighborhood.
But the Encanto Park and Recreation Council turned down the proposal with a 4-3 vote in November.
‘I think he’s one of the greatest football players around in this day and age,’ said Elmer Britt, vice president of the council. ‘But he never put anything back into the park. We really haven’t been given any reason, other than his being a football player, to name anything after him.’
The council later approved a second proposal to use Allen’s name on the park’s new sports field, but the city Park and Recreation Board unanimously rejected the idea two weeks ago.
The Allens say they will appeal to the San Diego City Council.
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