Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

I would argue that Damon Allen was a better athlete than his brother Marcus Allen. Damon played longer and only had 300 fewer rushing yards than Marcus… and Damon was a quarterback. Damon had over 72,000 passing yards.


Marcus Allen

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... leMa00.htm


Damon Allen

https://www.statscrew.com/football/stats/p-allendam001

This is a really interesting topic with broad implications. Marcus has openly stated that he wants his brother in Canton, and given the stats, it's hard to argue with his point unless the CFL has its own Hall of Fame, which I'm not certain whether it does. Damon is top 3 in league history in both rushing and receiving. But that then opens up an entire discussion about things like, does Doug Flutie belong in the HOF then too? He was far more dominant than Allen ever was. Where do you draw the line at that point? If you hold it to the true legends like Allen and Flutie, do the guys on the tier below suddenly become HOVG slam-dunks? Allen is behind Anthony Calvillo in passing and George Reed in rushing, do you have to induct both of them too? As monumental as Damon Allen's achievements are, I don't really see how he can be made an exception of without inevitably opening up a much bigger can of worms. Of course, one could argue that this would be a welcome change, too, but then you have to get Herschel Walker in there ASAP because USFL > CFL, and then where are we headed, Arena Football guys next? Hey, I wouldn't mind Tom Grady having a bronze bust.

Canadian Football Hall of Fame: https://cfhof.ca/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_ ... ll_of_Fame

Due to racial policies and treatment, isnt Cookie Gilchrist the only player to refuse induction into the Canadian HOF ?

Brian wolf wrote:Due to racial policies and treatment, isnt Cookie Gilchrist the only player to refuse induction into the Canadian HOF ?

Cookie was very bitter about the way he was treated during his playing days North of the border. I believe he is the only person to refuse induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

Generally, Canadians are easy-going and friendly folks, so it's easy to overlook the fact that our neighbors to the north were a bit inhospitable to black players back then.

JuggernautJ wrote:Canadian Football Hall of Fame: https://cfhof.ca/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_ ... ll_of_Fame

Thanks. I guess Damon has his honors, then. As to whether Damon was better than Marcus, I would argue he accomplished more, but beyond that is getting into a game of what-ifs; could a running QB of his style have made it in the NFL in the 90s? I'd love to hear from someone who knows more about the way he played regarding that.

RichardBak wrote:Generally, Canadians are easy-going and friendly folks, so it's easy to overlook the fact that our neighbors to the north were a bit inhospitable to black players back then.

That’s an inaccurate generalization. Cookie’s difficulties were an exception to the typical situation for black athletes in Canada. As you know, he was a confrontational man who often created problematic situations for himself throughout his life. Black players in that era generally found life up here a breeze compared to what they had to endure in many areas of the US. Many CFL players through the decades have chosen to remain here when their careers ended.

JameisLoseston wrote:This is a really interesting topic with broad implications. Marcus has openly stated that he wants his brother in Canton, and given the stats, it's hard to argue with his point

I think its pretty easy to argue his point. The NFL has different rules than the CFL, and the NFL is a higher quality league than the CFL. Not sure what the point is here. It would be like putting Crash Davis into the baseball hall of fame because he hit 500 home runs in the Texas Independent League. If Damon Allen gets enshrined in Canton, then there really isn't much point to having the Hall of Fame remain open. Just shut it down.

JameisLoseston wrote:

JuggernautJ wrote:Canadian Football Hall of Fame: https://cfhof.ca/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_ ... ll_of_Fame

Thanks. I guess Damon has his honors, then. As to whether Damon was better than Marcus, I would argue he accomplished more, but beyond that is getting into a game of what-ifs; could a running QB of his style have made it in the NFL in the 90s? I'd love to hear from someone who knows more about the way he played regarding that.

Damon Allen was a superb athlete and an excellent QB whose abilities were perfectly suited to the CFL. He set career records because of his almost Brady-like longevity. He is absolutely a deserving hall of famer but few, if any, consider him one of the QBs on the CFL’s Mount Rushmore.