Jared Allen, All Pro Defensive End Turned Olympic Curling Hopeful

Since his retirement from the NFL Jared Allen has been busy. We are so used to seeing him rushing a quarterback and making big defensive tackles but now we can see him on the ice hurling stones.

Allen currently resides in Nashville, TN but has been spending a lot of time here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Allen took some time to talk with the podcast "High 'Opes" about his goal to qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. Keep in mind Allen as no experience with the winter sport and he's not alone on this journey. His team appropriately dubbed the "All Pro Curling Team" features the likes of former Titans offensive lineman Michael Roos, former Rams quarterback Marc Bulger, and seasoned curlers Jason Smith and Tim Solin. Keith Bullock, who is a former Titian himself, serves as a team manager.

I'm joking that this is the only sport that I can literally sign up to be an elite-level curler, no experience, and the first match is against the gold medalists? In what world does that make sense in sports? That's not supposed to happen, - Jared Allen

In Allen's first World Curling Tour event in 2019, the Curl Mesabi Classic in Eveleth, MN, the "All Pro Curling Team" found themselves matched up with none other than 2018 Olympic Gold medal winners, Team Shuster. "High Opes" asked the question if there was a big skill gap between the like of Team Shuster and some of the other best in the sport, Allen replied, "It's not as big as you think. That gap, per se, on technique, isn't that great. The difference between John (Shuster) and myself, his misses may be a quarter of a rock or a couple inches where my miss may be a quarter or half a rock and maybe a foot too heavy."

From All Pro Football player to Olympic Curling hopeful, who would have thought! I also have ever participated in the sport of Curling, but it is one of my favorite Winter Olympiad Sports to watch. It will be fun to watch Allen and the rest of the "All Pro Curling Team" in action and try and make a run for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games!