Devon Allen is hanging up his track spikes for football cleats and instead of clearing hurdles, he hopes to be running by and over defenders in the National Football League. The former Oregon Duck two-sport standout who placed fouth in the 110-meter hurdles at the Tokyo Olympic Games last summer has decided to go back to his first love of football.

 

On Friday, Allen signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.

After running a blistering 4.35 40-yard dash at the University of Oregon's Pro Day, NFL scouts and personnel began buzzing about a potential comeback to football. It was also the fastest time of any Duck in attendance and would have been the 10th-fastest at the recent NFL Combine.

 

Allen played wide receiver for the Ducks from 2014-2016 where he racked up 919 yards and eight touchdowns in his career. There was never any reason to question his speed. 

 

However, Allen suffered two anterior cruciate ligament injuries to his knees playing football and the second one ended his 2016 season after only three games. 

On the track, he won an NCAA outdoor title in 2014 and 2016, USA Outdoor Track & Field champion in 2016, 2018, and 2020, and was a member of two U.S. Olympic teams (Rio and Tokyo) and is one of a handful of athletes to break 13 seconds (12.99) in the 110-meter hurdles.