In news that can only be considered quite a shock, 24-year-old Minnesota Vikings cornerback and former University of Georgia star Asher Allen has announced his retirement. Allen would've been entering his fourth year as a pro, after being drafted in the third round by the Vikings in 2009.
He started 21 games, including nine last season, but was expected to battle for a starter's role this fall, as the Vikings added two defensive backs in free agency and are projected to start Chris Cook and Antoine Winfield at corner. Per the Vikings, and NFL.com, which broke the story, Allen had no apparent injury issues that would force retirement:
Frazier said Allen's decision wasn't health-related, according to Rapoport. Apparently, Allen lost the passion to play football. The move reminds us of former San Francisco 49ers running back Glen Coffee's decision to retire after only one season in the league.
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