Every player eligible for the NFL Draft just wants to their name called and be given a chance to compete at the highest level of their sport. While some will consider it a dream no matter where they're drafted, some will come in with a chip on their shoulder due to where they were drafted at.Indianapolis Colts tight end Dwayne Allen falls into the latter category. Allen was an All-American tight end at Clemson and was the winner of the John Mackey Award, which is given to college football's top tight end. The draft advisory panel gave him a first-round grade, but when the draft rolled around he ended being picked in the third round. Allen wasn't too pleased with his draft experience.
“I want to say congratulations to all those guys whose dreams are going to come true,” Allen told the Indianapolis Star. “But I won’t be watching. I can’t stand the draft.”
The Colts passed on Allen early in the second round when they selected quarterback Andrew Luck's Stanford teammate Coby Fleener. He thought the Carolina Panthers would take him with their second-round pick, but they instead chose Midwestern State guard Amini Silatolu.
“A guy I had never heard of,” Allen said of the selection.
As the second round came and went Allen grew more upset. Allen’s phone came to life. His eyes widened.
“Hold on for Mr. Irsay,’’ the voice at the other end said. “I was like, ‘(expletive) it’s the Colts,’ ” he said. “(Owner Jim Irsay) gets on and said, ‘Hey, Dwayne, we’re going to take you with the next pick. We’re excited to have you. Hold on for coach Pagano.’ Coach starts talking to me and the entire time I’m emotionless. I was more pissed than anything else.”
Allen knew that he lost a few million dollars on his rookie contract, so that explains why he was so upset. But it wasn't how most prospects watching the draft are thinking.
“You’re just watching as that money goes away,” Allen said. “You’ve never had it, but that doesn’t stop you from thinking, ‘Man, I’m losing money.’
Allen did admit to being kind of a jerk to Colts coaches and after thinking about it he realized that he was more fortunate than others and gave a call to tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts to apologize.
“I apologized for my rudeness,” Allen said. “I told him I was ready to get to work and this was going to be the best pick you’ve ever made.
“It took me time to calm down and realize how much of a blessing it was just to get that phone call. How many guys are sitting at home and their phones didn’t ring?”
Good thing that Allen did turn out to be the better than Fleener last thing, but he is also lucky that the Colts didn't take his bad attitude personally when they called. If he can outperform his contract, he'll end up making that lost money back and more.
