Devon Allen, a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, showcased his world-class athleticism and speed over the weekend, setting the third-fastest time in 110-meter hurdles history on Sunday.
At the New York City Grand Prix on Sunday, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Devon Allen set a new world record, he finished third quickest in the 110-meter hurdles, beating out world champion Grant Holloway. He finished with a time of 12.84, just four hundredths of a second slower than Aries Merritt’s Diamond League world record of 12.80 set in 2012.
Allen comfortably beat Olympic silver medalist Grant Holloway, who finished in 13.06 seconds. Allen recently signed with the Eagles following a stellar track career.
Allen, who is 27 years old, was 0.04 seconds off the world record. Aries Merritt of the United States set the record of 12.80 in 2012.
Allen, a two-time Olympian, expressed confidence in his ability to beat Merritt’s mark.
“I was hoping to set a new record today. Clean up a few things, and four hundredths of a second is four thousandths of a second per hurdle, which is insignificant. We’ll have to wait till the next race, “According to NBC Sports Philadelphia, Allen stated after the race.
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The 27-year-old former Oregon receiver hasn’t played football since 2016, but when he worked out at the Ducks’ pro day in April, he drew the attention of scouts. Allen signed with the Eagles this offseason in the hopes of resuming his NFL career.
Allen intends to compete in track and field until July before focusing on football. He was a member of the Oregon Ducks from 2014 to 2016. and signed by the Eagles following an unofficial time of 4.35 seconds in the 40-yard dash during a workout earlier this year. An NFL wide receiver’s average time is roughly 4.48 seconds.
“I need to be really mindful of my recovery, my sleep, my food, things like that when I’m doing so much – like football and track, trying to balance them both,” Allen told reporters. “It had me a little more locked in, and obviously it’s working out.”
Allen finished fifth in the 2016 Rio Olympics in 13.31 seconds and fourth in Tokyo last summer in 13.14 seconds.
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In April, he signed a three-year contract with the Eagles, but he acknowledged that he needs to get back to doing football stuff.
“The most important thing for me football-wise is that I’m a fast and powerful enough athlete; all I have to do now is start practicing football stuff, like running routes and catching football,” he told Reuters.
Allen will compete in two more track competitions before reporting to Eagles training camp on July 26: the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships later this month and the World Championships in Europe in mid-July.
Allen stated at Oregon’s pro day earlier this year that he intends to compete in the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships as well as the World Athletics Championships.
