EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen received more recognition Wednesday after falling just short of the NFL single-season sack record last year.
Allen, 30, was ranked the 13th best player in the league in a vote by NFL players released during the NFL Network's annual Top 100 players special on Wednesday. Allen's sacks last season fell a half-sack shy of Michael Strahan's single-season record. He added four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 66 tackles and one interception and was second to Baltimore's Terrell Suggs in the voting for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.
"I was crying last year," Allen joked about being ranked No. 80 on the same list last year while being interviewed on the top 100 reaction show. "I was like, ‘Man, I've put in a solid body of work in my career and they're going to give me an 80.' I guess some people were happy to be in the top 100. I won't be happy until I get in the top 10 or top 1 maybe. But I guess I'm going to have to learn how to throw a ball to get there."
Allen is the first Vikings' player named to the list this year as the network counts down from 100, releasing 10 names each week. Allen joked about his disrespect last season and how he would like to top the list someday.
A four-time All-Pro in his eight seasons, Allen said he's been motivated in training this offseason by missing out on Strahan's record mark. After training all offseason in Arizona, Allen returned to Minnesota's facilities at Winter Park on Tuesday for the beginning of the three-day mandatory minicamp.
He said he's working to become the first NFL player in history to have multiple 20-sack seasons in a career. He also mentioned what he believes is the magic number for sacks in a season.
"I think 25's possible," Allen said Tuesday. "I think someone will eventually get it. I mean, you look at some of the athletes coming. You look at the DeMarcus Wares of the league and the matchups he creates as a 3-4 guy, on a running back or something like. I think it's possible. Again no one's ever had two 20-sack seasons in their career in the history of the NFL. So, someone's got to do that first. I believe it's possible. I believe 25 is a number that will get hit one year. But when? I don't know."
Ware, Dallas' All-Pro outside linebacker, has come the closest to dual 20-sack seasons, finishing with 20 in 2008 and 19.5 last season behind Allen's league-leading total. Allen's second-best mark 15.5 sacks in 2007, his final season with the Kansas City Chiefs. Since coming to Minnesota, Allen has never has 62 sacks in 64 games.
Follow Brian Hall on Twitter.
