His Career a Bust

The Cincinnati Bengals are hapless losers, a team thoroughly outclassed by the NFL’s elite teams.

That’s essentially what Coach George Allen told his 1974 Washington Redskins. No offense to Cincinnati; the Bengals were merely the opponents of the moment. Allen’s message would have been similar had the Redskins been preparing to play the Bears, Steelers, Raiders, anyone. On cue, Allen’s martial-arts instructor raised a piece of wood with a large “C” painted on it.

“This is how much I hate the Bengals,” Allen growled, throwing a piston-like punch that snapped the board in two.

Instantly, he had everyone’s attention.

“But you’ve got to hate them more than that,” he continued.

The instructor now put two boards together and held them up. Allen punched--thwack--and the boards didn’t break.

“OK,” Allen gasped, using every ounce of strength to stifle a scream, “let’s go to individual meetings.”

(A frustrating footnote for Allen: He suffered a broken finger punching the boards and the Redskins wound up losing to the Bengals.)

Call him corny, call his fist-pumping gusto hokey, but Allen never had a losing season, or even finished .500, as coach of the Los Angeles Rams (1966-70), Redskins (1971-77); the U.S. Football League’s Chicago Blitz (1983) and Arizona Wranglers (1984); and Long Beach State (1990).

He was selected by the Seniors Committee for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame today, after 24 years of eligibility and more than a decade after his death. He will be enshrined with quarterback Jim Kelly of the Buffalo Bills, receiver John Stallworth of the Pittsburgh Steelers, tight end Dave Casper of the Oakland Raiders and defensive lineman Dan Hampton of the Chicago Bears.

“It’s very bittersweet; he’s not here,” said Dr. Greg Allen, 48, the coach’s second son and a psychologist in charge of a drug and alcohol program at UCLA. “It’s going to feel like a eulogy. It’s kind of upsetting that he’s not around to see this. That’s going to be hard emotionally. But for the Allen family [the ceremony] is going to be great. It’s going to be like a massive family reunion.”

The Hall of Fame Committee is composed of 38 media members, nine of whom also are members of the Senior Committee. Longtime voter Ira Miller of the San Francisco Chronicle said he voted against Allen several times because of his 2-7 record in the postseason.

“After I thought about it and talked to enough people, I realized there were other contributions and swung around,” Miller said.

It probably didn’t help that Allen viewed reporters with such contempt. He believed they should be supportive of their hometown teams, not critical, and he was the first coach to close practice to the media. It was one of his many firsts.

He was the first to hire a special-teams coach, the first NFL coach to use situational players such as pass-rush specialists, and he was on the cutting edge in emphasizing weightlifting and proper nutrition. He was a tireless worker who had a habit of calling opposing coaches in their offices at midnight on the Wednesday before they faced the Redskins. (If those coaches didn’t answer, Allen figured he already had the game won.) He also relished the chess match of it all.

“He worked hard,” said Charley Casserly, general manager of the Houston Texans who began his career as an errand boy for Allen in Washington. “But a lot of times George left the light on in his office whether he was there or not.”

Allen, who once coached Whittier College, began his NFL career under George Halas as a defensive assistant with the Bears from 1958 through ‘65, then became head coach of the Rams in 1966, taking over a team that had had seven consecutive losing seasons. The Rams went 8-6 in their first season under Allen, then won a division title the next season with an 11-1-2 record. He was fired after the 1970 season, despite going 9-4-1.

He moved on to the Redskins, where he loaded the roster with older, crafty players nicknamed the “Over-the-Hill Gang.” They went 9-4-1 in Allen’s first season, and reached the Super Bowl a year later, losing to Miami as the Dolphins completed a 17-0 season. By the time Allen was fired in 1977, the Redskins had made the playoffs three more times.

Allen returned to the Rams in 1978, but owner Carroll Rosenbloom fired him after two exhibition games.

After coaching two seasons in the USFL, Allen returned to college football in 1990 at age 72. He took over the Long Beach State program, which had not had a winning season in four years, and led the 49ers to a 6-5 mark. His players doused him with ice water in a postgame celebration at the end of that season. Allen caught a cold and never recovered. He died on New Year’s Eve of 1990.

Allen and his wife, Etty, were always fond of Southern California and never sold the Palos Verdes home they had built in 1966. Etty still lives there, and three of their four children live in the state--Greg; Jennifer, a writer who penned a biography of her father; and Bruce, senior assistant for the Oakland Raiders. U.S. Senator George Allen (R-Va.) will deliver the acceptance speech for his father, and Hall of Fame defensive end Deacon Jones will give the introduction.

“The thing I respected most about my dad is he really had the courage of his own convictions,” Bruce Allen said. “He did things differently than other people, and, if he believed it was right, he stuck with it.”

Even if it cost him a broken finger now and then.

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

NFL HALL OF FAME ENSHRINEES

*--* GEORGE ALLEN

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* Coach ... 1966-1970 Los Angeles Rams, 1971-1977 Washington Redskins ... Regular-season record: 116-47-5 ... Postseason record: 2-7 ... Compiled a 49-17-4 regular-season record in five seasons with Rams ... 67-30-1 in seven seasons with the Redskins ... Guided Rams to playoffs twice, losing conference playoff games in 1967, 1969 ... Led Redskins to five playoff appearances ... Coach of the year in 1967, 1971 ... Coached in USFL for two seasons with a 22-14 record.

*--* DAVE CASPER

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* Tight end ... 1974-1980 Oakland Raiders, 1980-1983 Houston Oilers, 1983 Minnesota Vikings, 1984 L.A. Raiders ... 11 seasons, 378 receptions, 52 TDs ... Nicknamed “The Ghost,” his play contributed to Raiders’ success and 32-14 victory over Vikings in the 1977 Super Bowl ... Outstanding blocker as well as receiver ... Traded to Oilers midway through 1980 season ... Named All-Pro and All-AFC four consecutive years (1976-1979) ... Selected to play in five Pro Bowls, 1977 through 1981.

*--* DAN HAMPTON

*--*

* Defensive tackle/defensive end ... 1979-1990 Chicago Bears ... 12 seasons, 157 games ... Selected by Bears in first round (fourth overall) in 1979 NFL draft ... Nicknamed “Danimal” for ferocious style of play ... Was a major contributor on 1985 Bear defense that gave up only 198 points and shut out both playoff opponents leading up to 46-10 victory over Patriots in Super Bowl XX ... Despite numerous injuries and surgeries, was first- or second-team All-Pro choice six times.

*--* JIM KELLY

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* Quarterback ... 1986-1996 Buffalo Bills ... Selected by Bills in first round (14th overall) of 1983 draft ... Originally signed with the Houston Gamblers of the USFL ... Joined Bills before 1986 season

*--* JOHN STALLWORTH

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* Wide receiver ... 1974-1987 Pittsburgh Steelers ... 14 seasons, 537 receptions for 8,723 yards, 63 TDs (plus one on lateral) ... Played in six AFC championship games, four Super Bowls, all victories

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Associated Press