Eight years since his legendary NFL career came to a close, Jared Allen is now trying to curl his way to Olympic glory.
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According to The New York Post, the 41-year-old former pass rusher began curling as the result of him losing a bet five years ago. That bet initially required him to try out and qualify for a PGA Tour event.
The bet then pivoted to Allen trying to qualify for the Olympics in badminton. Yet, once Allen realized that badminton was "way too much movement for me at this age," the Minnesota Vikings legend tried his hand at the sport of curling — and fell in love with it.
"I read the rules of curling, it was like the winners have to buy the losers beer," Allen told The Post. "Most people start in their 40s, I was like, 'Right up my alley.'"
Now Allen — whose 136 career NFL sacks while playing for the Chiefs, Vikings, Bears and Panthers are 12th most in NFL history — has his sights set on qualifying for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Considering that Allen's four-man team beat the 2018 Winter Olympic gold medalists in a match last year, it seems they've got a solid shot at making his Olympic dream come true.
Although the sport of curling is often teased about its seeming lack of athleticism, Allen explained to The Post how it got him hooked.
"I think for me, the strategic part was something that was very interesting. Obviously the physical side, I can learn physical things," Allen said. "But the dynamic of how to determine how hard to throw, tracking ice conditions, paying attention to all those little things ... all the minute angles that go into it, that's where I think the sport is really fun, and that's where I think you see the best teams are the most consistent teams."
Allen's squad was slated to compete at the curling U.S. National Championships, which start today, run through Feb. 4 and are taking place right next to MetLife Stadium in New York. However, Allen was recently forced to withdraw from the event due to personal reasons.
Yet that doesn't mean Allen's Olympic dreams are dashed. He and his team will have other opportunities in the future to qualify for the 2026 Olympics.
What's certain is that the beloved NFL legend has all of America rooting, hoping that his next bonspiel will result in success.
