Jared Allen will wear a cowboy hat next weekend in Canton for his enthronement to the renown temple, the signing clothes that inspired his act of celebration calf battery after each bag and still serves as an appropriate cliché of his life out of the field. Raised in a horseshoe in northern California, Allen was quite daring at 8 years old to tell his father that he planned to become a professional football player. “When you do what you like to do, you want to honor the game by being great, not in an arrogant way, but in a way of showing respect and gratitude for all those who preceded you,” said Allen, who will be honored during the ceremony next weekend with Antonio Gates, Eric Allen and Sterling Sharpe. First, make your mark with the Kansas City chiefs, then reach another level with the Vikings of Minnesota, Allen was one of the most fun players of his generation.
