Three interceptions through five games, and a Defensive Rookie of the Month award for his play in September. Not a bad start to Nate Allen’s NFL career. The Philadelphia Eagles safety, drafted in the second round of this past April’s draft, has exceeded all expectations through the first five games of the 2010 NFL season. The Eagles’ defense has had its struggles early on in the year, but they’ve looked much improved from a year ago, thanks in part to Allen being ready to play at a high level from the get-go.
Allen, the former University of South Florida star who grew up in the Land of Deion Sanders (Fort Myers), has quickly carved out his own reputation as a playmaker in the Eagles defense. He was named the NFC’s Defensive Rookie of the Month for September and he now has three interceptions through only five games. The last Eagles rookie to have three interceptions in a season was none other than Dawkins in 1996. And to thicken the plot, Allen intercepted McNabb in the second half of the Eagles’ loss.
“I didn’t really think about it when we were on the field,” said Allen. “But when I got to the locker room and the media started talking about it, it was pretty cool.”