What started as a bet turned into a passion for former NFL defensive end Jared Allen.
Now, eight years after retiring from the NFL, he's aiming to qualify for the Olympics as a curler.
His pursuit began with a bet with a friend to qualify for a PGA Tour event.
But after seeing the story of Eddie the Eagle, an Olympic ski jumper from England, Allen set his sights on qualifying for an even bigger stage.
Allen initially thought about trying badminton, but after doing some research, the 41-year-old realized it was “too much exercise for someone my age.”
That's when the one-time pass rusher discovered curling.
“I read the rules of curling, and it was like the winner has to buy the loser a beer. Most people start working in their 40s, but I was like right down the alley. ,” Allen recently told the Post.
Five years after that bet, Allen is still pursuing his goal of making it to the Olympics, starting next week in New Jersey at the U.S. Curling Championships, which will be held at the American Dream rinks from Jan. 29 to Feb. 4. I plan to participate in the event.
Allen said her skills have improved tremendously since she started, but it wasn't until John Shuster and the United States won gold in curling at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang that she realized just how big the challenge was. said.
“At that point I was already so far down the rabbit hole that I look like an idiot talking about how I'm going to make it to the Olympics in curling when I just won a gold medal in curling.” He said. Laughter. “I took part in a bet, and now, five years later, I refuse to take part in that bet.”
During that time, Allen went from competing with former NFL players Mark Bulger, Keith Brook and Michael Ruth to collaborating with former Olympian Jason Smith, with whom he has competed on and off for more than five years.
Allen spent 12 years in the NFL and ranks 12th on the league's all-time sack list.
But curling was a big change from anything he'd done before.
“When people see this, they say, 'Oh, it's like shuffleboard on ice,'” the longtime Viking said.
“I think the strategic part was very interesting for me. Obviously the physical side, I get to learn physical things. … But tracking the ice conditions and all these things. Paying attention to the little things and the dynamics of how you decide how hard to throw. I think every little angle is what makes this sport interesting, and I think you can see from there that the best teams are the most consistent teams. .
“They're not always the most talented team, but they're the most consistent team because ice conditions can change in an instant. The nuances of curling make it a much more difficult game than when you watch the Olympics.”
Allen's bid for an Olympic berth will take him through New Jersey, where the national championships are being held right next to MetLife Stadium, a venue he knows from his NFL days.
He hopes this year's event will draw more people and help grow the sport because of its proximity to New York City.
This year marks the first time an elite-level curling event will be held in the region, with teams competing to get closer to representing the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Allen also hopes to build on last year's national championship, in which his team defeated Shuster's team 10-6 in the first round robin game.
Allen and Smith will team up again at the National Championship with Rich Luohonen, Sam Strauss and Aidan Oldenburg.
Curling is a team sport involving four players who slide granite stones into target areas on a long piece of ice called a pitch.
The goal of each team is to get their stone closest to the center, also known as the house. Points are awarded depending on how close a team's stone is to the center of the house.
Curling was officially added to the Olympic Games at the 1998 Nagano Games.
“It's definitely an improvement over last year and we're excited,” Allen said. “We obviously earned our way to nationals, so now we’re excited to go out there and get the ultimate crown: a national title.”
While Allen focuses on curling, he continues to focus on the NFL even after retiring.
Allen played for the Chiefs, Vikings, Bears and Panthers and was recently named a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist for the fourth time.
Allen joked that “fourth time is the charm,” and felt “really grateful and really humbled” to have been chosen as one of the 15 finalists.
