Pro Football HOF Inductee Points Children to Christ

Published: August 7, 2025

By Mallory Mattingly

Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Jared Allen, a defensive end, used his acceptance speech to point his family and fans to Christ.

“I’m reminded of what [Vikings chaplain] Tom Lamphere said when we were going through our premarital counseling,” Allen said to his wife, Amy, at the end of his speech last Saturday. “He said the two most important decisions you’ll make in life is one, whether you follow Jesus or not, and two is who you marry. There’s only two types of people. There’s boat anchors who drag you down, and there’s people who elevate you, and you are a true game elevator.”

“Always put Christ first.”

What a powerful HOF message from Jared Allen on Saturday in Canton. pic.twitter.com/sYVvns0jh6

— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) August 3, 2025

Allen then spoke to his two daughters, Brinley and Lakelyn, reflecting on his legacy.

“When I get called home to Heaven one day, if all they talk about is this gold jacket and my career, then I failed miserably as a father, a husband and a friend. You two are my legacy. You are both so talented, and I cannot wait to see what you decide to do to conquer this world,” he shared. “So always put Christ first, find your ‘why,’ dream big dreams and always pursue greatness in whatever you do. Thank you all, and may God bless you all.”

Allen was a fourth-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2004. However, he is best known for the five years he played for the Minnesota Vikings from 2008-2013. While in Minnesota, Allen “recorded four of his five Pro Bowl selections and three of his four first-team All-Pro selections. He also played briefly for the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers,” Sports Spectrum reported.

“I’m hoping…they continue to look back on those moments and understand how to achieve greatness in whatever you do, not just athletics,” Allen later told Fox News Digital of what he hopes his daughters learn from his career and acceptance speech. “I always tell my kids, you’ve just got to find your passion. You’ve got to chase it. Figure out what your purpose is and go after it with a full head of steam, and that’s all I really want for them, so I hope that’s what they take from it.”

“That’s what my life’s always been about. It’s how I was raised. [They’re] the most important things to me,” he told FOX & FRIENDS.

While Allen found all the worldly success he could want in the NFL, he knows that nothing compares to the treasure he has in Christ and in his family.

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