FAMILY
DESIREE ALLEN
Damon Allen’s Wife
“We were fresh-faced
Americans when we arrived in Canada so many years ago, not knowing what
to expect from this new opportunity in a country we knew little about.
But it didn’t take long for us to feel accepted and welcomed by people.
We’ve had some awesome times and made some fantastic life-long friends
from the West to the East. Raising our family as Canadians is our
choice due to the love we’ve been shown. Football has been our family’s
life. Watching Damon and supporting him through ups and downs has been
exhilarating. Thanks for the awesome ride and for allowing him to
achieve such amazing heights in his career. We are looking forward to
what God has in store for our family with great anticipation while
continuing to make this beautiful country our home.”
MARCUS ALLEN
Damon Allen’s Brother
Pro Football Hall of Fame Running Back
“First and more
importantly as a brother, I am extremely proud of Damon and his
accomplishments. He went in his own direction, doing things his way.
When you have a younger brother who writes his own history, who has
defined himself and who has forged his name in the record books, it’s
an honour, a privilege, gratifying and inspirational to be his brother.
As an athlete talking about another athlete, I’ve marveled at what he
has been able to accomplish. Damon and I have talked about how if you
want people to remember your name 100 years from now, you have to be
extraordinary and Damon has been beyond extraordinary. He has been a
credit to the game by how he has conducted himself, a true professional
with great sportsmanship, and as far as his athletic prowess and the
numbers he has been able to accumulate, these will stand for a long,
long time. I am so proud of him on these two levels. I couldn’t be more
proud of what he’s done and the person he is. Knowing Damon, whatever
he embarks upon next will be pursued with the same passion, respect and
love that is necessary for greatness.”
CFL EXECUTIVES
HUGH CAMPBELL
Long-time CFL Executive (Edmonton Eskimos)
“When Damon was a
senior at Fullerton he had to decide between pro baseball and pro
football. The CFL would be something different, something less, had he
not come our way. Damon has all the attributes that coaches look for in
a quarterback: athletic ability, intelligence and leadership. If I was
forced to just name one characteristic that stands out about Damon it
would be that he is a class act in every situation, whether it be a
backup quarterback, starting quarterback, winning or losing. He is just
a great person.
Anybody who has ever
spent even a half an hour of time with his mother and his father would
never be surprised at Damon’s personality and character.”
MICHAEL CLEMONS
Toronto Argonauts CEO
“Empirical evidence
overwhelmingly confirms that Damon is the most prolific player in pro
football history. To run for almost 12,000 yards makes him one the best
rushers ever; to pass for a world record 72,381 yards makes him
arguably the best passer. To do both and win four championships makes
him iconic. While he captured the hearts of fans across the land,
donning six different jerseys, I believe the Double Blue best defines
his legend. At forty years old, he punctuated the return to prominence
of the world’s most storied football team with a Grey Cup victory and
MVP. And as an Argonaut the following year, he was the league’s Most
Outstanding Player at an amazing 41 years old. Brett Favre may very
well be the second best quarterback to retire this year!!!”
MARK COHON
CFL Commissioner
“For more than two
decades, Damon Allen has been a leader, a champion and an ambassador
for our league. Even more impressive than the many records he holds are
the memories and inspirations he has left with our fans from across the
country. The CFL’s rich history is decorated with his story, a story
that will live far beyond his career. On behalf of the CFL,
congratulations and we hope you will continue to be involved with our
game for many years to come.”
ADAM RITA
Toronto Argonauts GM/Vice President, Football Operations
“Damon is one of the
better athletes to have played the quarterback position in the history
of CFL football. I had the pleasure of coaching him, and winning
several Grey Cups with him. It’s a real pleasure to say that I have
coached Damon Allen. He’s a wonderful player and, perhaps more
importantly, a wonderful family man.”
PLAYERS
HENRY BURRIS
Quarterback, Calgary Stampeders
“Damon has always been
one of the guys I’ve looked up to. He’s a pioneer of the game and one
of the more blessed quarterbacks to ever play the game – at any level
or any league. He’ll always be a legend in my mind. He helped break the
colour barrier and created a new image for the black quarterback.
An amazing thing about
Damon is that he proved he could win both early in his career and late
in his career. When he was young, he was successful running, and then
as he got older he became a very good passing quarterback.”
TRACY HAM
Former CFL Quarterback (Edmonton, Toronto, Baltimore, Montreal)
First CFL QB to rush for 1,000 yards and pass for 4,000 yards in a single-season
“I was Damon’s rookie
in 1987 in Edmonton. He took me under his wing and showed me a lot. He
set the tempo for the early part of my career and it’s something I’ll
never forget. I like to say that Damon had one more gene than the rest
of us. He was always so calm in the clutch – he did everything big in
the playoffs. I remember, the night before his Grey Cup appearance with
B.C. in 2000, I went for dinner with Damon and Marcus and D.A. was so
relaxed. He will go down as the greatest quarterback in CFL history, no
question in my mind – the numbers don’t lie. Learning from him, playing
with him and playing against him, you get to see the man from all
angles – he has and does it all.”
ALFRED JACKSON
Former CFL Receiver (Winnipeg, B.C., Toronto)
On the receiving end of the longest pass in Allen’s career, 109 yards
“The one thing I’ll
always remember about Damon is that he was more than a just a teammate
and friend. He was a great father, a great husband and he truly loves
his family. His presence on the football field was amazing. He was a
soldier. He played through injuries and he was a leader in every sense
of the word. I’m so grateful and thankful that I had an opportunity to
play with an athlete of his calibre. Damon is known all over North
America, and to understand that you can spend time with him away from
the field is something I will cherish and never forget. Damon, it was
my pleasure. You had a great career and you are a true hall of famer,
congratulations.”
ALONDRA JOHNSON
Former CFL Linebacker (B.C., Calgary, Saskatchewan)
CFL’s second-leading tackler all-time
“Damon was a great
warrior on the field. I always respected him as a competitor. He
brought out the best in me and a lot of other players. The thing that
you see in Damon’s eyes, and you don’t always see in others, is
determination to be a winner. Congratulations on a tremendous career,
for you will always be a true warrior.”
DANNY MCMANUS
Former CFL Quarterback (Winnipeg, B.C., Edmonton, Hamilton, Calgary)
Member of the 50,000 Yard Club
“When one mentions the
name Damon Allen, those around immediately identify with the CFL. He
has been an ambassador for the game, not only for what he’s done on the
football field but also what he has done in the community. He
personifies the quarterback position and every quarterback who has come
since has measured their career against his. Be it numerous
achievements, the good times and the bad times, victories and defeats –
he’s always handled himself with class. I’ve always tried to model
myself and my career after his conduct both on and off the field.”
COLLEGE DAYS
STEVE MARIUCCI
Damon’s coach at Cal State Fullerton
Former NFL Head Coach, now NFL Analyst
“I remember when we
recruited Damon from Lincoln High School to play at Cal State
Fullerton. He weighed all of 149 pounds. Damon soon made a name for
himself; he was no longer ‘Marcus’ brother’. Not only did Damon excel
in the CFL, he chose to stay there despite having the ability to play
in the National Football League. He loves living in Canada, making his
home there and raising his family there – now that’s loyalty! There’s
no doubt in my mind that someday Damon Allen should be inducted into
the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Damon, I’m really
proud of you. Not only because of your statistics and accomplishments,
but because you’re a great husband, father and man of integrity.”
GENE MURPHY
Damon’s coach at Cal State Fullerton
“There is no doubt in
my mind, old timers or otherwise, that Damon is/was the best
quarterback in the history of North American professional football.
America’s loss is Canada’s gain.
I was a guest coach in
the CFL for the Saskatchewan Roughriders when I was an assistant coach
for the University of North Dakota in the 1970’s. Ron Lancaster was at
his peak in Regina. I never thought in my wildest imagination that I
would ever see anyone come close to reaching Ron’s level of
proficiency, and then I met Damon. I was the Head Coach at Cal State
Fullerton and we recruited this 6 foot, ‘a-buck forty’ passer from
Lincoln High and my thinking about the quarterback position, and
Ronnie, changed forever. Damon had a god-given innate ability. He
possessed: hand-eye coordination, quick twitch muscles, explosive
strength, a big-time pain threshold, acceleration, durability, and a
sixth sense to stay out of harms way. I watched him emerge from the
“slight” 6-foot, 17-year old to the greatest passer in the history of
football.
As good as he was as
an athlete and quarterback, he is that and MORE as a husband, father
and friend. Sometimes we walk among giants and heroes and have no idea.
Not this time.”