Local standout Allen returns home to Redskins

Allen and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell   Courtesy Redskins

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – The Washington Redskins selected defensive lineman Jonathan Allen in the first round (No. 17 overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.

The Alabama standout defensive lineman from Ashburn, VA will return home to play for the team he grew up just miles away from.

“You know, I’m always – I knew about the Redskins. The last couple of years, I kind of fell off because I was at Alabama. Honestly, when I was in college, I really didn’t watch too much football. But, growing up, that’s who you root for. I still remember days where I went to the first summer practice when I watched Donovan McNabb when we first got Donovan McNabb. It’s just crazy that I’m actually going to be out there playing with them now.” Allen said. 

Allen a standout at Alabama     Courtesy / Rolltide.com   AU

Allen (6-3, 286) played in 57 career games at Alabama from 2013-16, recording 154 tackles (78 solo), 45.0 tackles for loss, 28.5 sacks, seven pass breakups and three forced fumbles.

As a senior and team captain in 2016, Allen played in all 15 games, contributing 69 tackles (33 solo), 16.0 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks and also contributed two touchdowns on fumble returns. A unanimous first-team All-American selection, he earned the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award and Ted Hendricks Award and helped lead the Crimson Tide to a berth in the national championship.

Allen appeared in all 15 games of Alabama’s national championship campaign in 2015, compiling 36 tackles (19 solo), 14.5 tackles for loss and 12.0 sacks. He earned first-team All-SEC selections from the Associated Press and the conference’s coaches.

At Stone Bridge  Moe Murphy

“There really wasn’t anything not to like, really. We like his size, we like his strength, we like his ability to rush the passer, play the run," Redskins Coach Jay Gruden said, "He’s a very versatile guy – he can play all the positions on defensive line. Really, never in a million years did we think he would be there at 17, but we’re happy-as-heck he was. There was not a lot of debate in there – we put the card in and took a heck-of-a football player and a great person.”   

Allen, also played his high school football at nearby Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, just a few miles away from the Redskins training facility.

Interview with Jonathan Allen his senior year at Stone Bridge     /Moe Murphy