Nate Allen Prefers Tackling Pigs to Humans

Nate Allen may be the single most maligned player on the Philadelphia Eagles. Here are some recent message board comments about the tackling-averse safety.

• Nate Allen is not a good football player and has the tenacity of a miniature poodle.
• Nate Allen is making a living appearing as an extra in other people’s highlight films

So the Daily News decided to run a piece about Allen’s proclivity for tacking wild boar in Florida during the offseason.

This is not the Nate Allen that Eagles fans have come to know, and, sometimes, to loathe. The Nate Allen they have come to know is aloof and polite. In their eyes, he plays that way on the field – soft, pretty, refined.

That Nate Allen would be the worst possible replacement for Brian Dawkins, who shared his demons with the proletariat, who emoted on every play, who criticized his teammates and himself.

The Golden Child could not survive at safety in Philadelphia. A second-round pick in 2010, Allen has yet to be effective or healthy for a full campaign. His contract expires after this season.

But then, The Golden Child is not the real Nate Allen. The real Nate Allen has rougher edges than he has shown so far.

The real Nate Allen tackles wild boards–not football players. “You slip behind them in the dark. Grab ’em by the hind legs. Flip ’em over and tie ’em up.” You know, it was about time an Eagles player spent his free time engaging animals in violent activity.