Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce won’t be the franchise’s only notable icon participating in the annual American Century Championship tournament at Lake Tahoe.
Former Chiefs running back and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen will bring his competitive spirit back to the golf course from Wednesday, July 10th through Sunday, July 14th, airing on NBC, with special coverage on Peacock and GOLF Channel.
Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Allen to discuss his ambitious mentality on the football field during his career and his thoughts on the Chiefs’ chances for a Super Bowl three-peat.
“Well, my number one goal was to be one of the greatest players that ever played,” said Allen, “you have to do that over time. You have to have consistency, certainly. You have to be a champion, at least in your effort, for as long as you know you play the game; you don’t win a couple of awards and then turn it off again if your goal is to be one of the greatest players ever played, that takes a long career. It takes consistency and an extra effort, which is uncommon among most players. That was my ultimate goal: to walk away and say you don’t mention the game without mentioning my name. That was always my goal.”
After winning Rookie of the Year, league MVP, and Super Bowl MVP awards early in his career with the Los Angeles Raiders, Allen expressed his desire to strive for more success on the field and prove doubters wrong.
“I wanted to win some awards along the way, starting with the Rookie of the Year,” Allen explained. “You only get one opportunity to win that, and I wanted to do that, especially coming out of my senior year. And even though I was a Heisman Trophy winner, many naysayers said my success was only because I played behind a great offensive line at USC and knew differently.
“If anybody had common sense, they would say the guy’s only been playing running back for two years. Remember, I got moved from DB (defensive back) to running back, but I didn’t play. And then, the next year, I got moved to fullback. Fullback is nothing like playing tailback, So it’s completely different. Then I turn around and get the running back possession, which is, again, a different animal.”
The best run in @SuperBowl history?@MarcusAllenHOF made his case. (via @nflthrowback)#SBXVIII | #TBT pic.twitter.com/mtnoeJsjZs
— NFL (@NFL) February 1, 2019
Allen used the versatility of his college career at USC to benefit his NFL career ambitions. The Heisman Trophy winner would go on to break multiple records with the same unsatisfied mentality, never settling for less than the best.
“I always thought that I was still in my infant stage of learning the position. And so I thought my best years were still ahead of me,” Allen continued. “Some people doubted that, so winning the Rookie of the Year proved right. And so then you go on. Well, you know, you want to go to the Super Bowl. You don’t go to the Super Bowl to hang wallpaper. You want to be the guy. And then that happens, you know?
“Then, obviously, if you want to be the best that ever played, you know, you say there’s the MVP of the league. It was always fueled by wanting to be the greatest player that ever played. I wanted to walk away by saying that when you talk about the NFL, you have to mention him.”
Allen played five seasons for the Chiefs to end his NFL career and continues to follow the team’s current success. He firmly believes that a three-peat is in the cards for the 2024 season.
“Absolutely. They have the infrastructure in place, from the coach to the quarterback to the defense; it really gets talked about. They have it all, and certainly, the ownership is where everything starts,” said Allen. “They certainly can be the best in the business right now. Until somebody dethrones them, the Chiefs are the team you must go through to win. And if somebody doesn’t realize that, they’re not very smart.”
Check out the website for more information about the American Century Championship.
