Former Kendrick, Georgia Tech player Rudy Allen selected to Chattahoochee Valley Hall of Fame

Columbus native Rudy Allen made a name for himself on the gridiron during his time at Kendrick High School and Georgia Tech. On Feb. 3, Allen’s play will be recognized in his induction into the Chattahoochee Valley Hall of Fame.

“Obviously, (the hall’s members) is a pretty select fraternity,” Allen said. “Given my career, I’m excited about it and my family’s excited about it. It’s a great honor.”

Allen was a star athlete at Kendrick and played football, baseball, basketball and track during his high school days. He caught plenty of attention for his work at quarterback for the Cherokees, leading Region 2-3A in passing in 1970 and 1971 with 1,916 passing yards and 14 touchdowns.

Thanks to his play, Allen was named All-Bi-City quarterback in his junior and senior year as well as Kendrick High’s MVP.

“Kendrick was a special place at that time, Allen said. “We had a great group of guys and a great group of coaches. You wouldn’t even believe how hard we worked to be as good as we were. It was a lot of fun.”

After receiving interest from the likes of Alabama, Auburn and Georgia, Allen elected to stay closer to home and attend Georgia Tech. He was a co-captain of the Yellow Jackets’ undefeated freshman team in 1972, a season in which he completed 26 passes for 307 yards and four touchdowns.

Following Allen’s sophomore season, the Georgia Tech program underwent change. Head coach Bill Fulcher was replaced by Pepper Rodgers, who brought with him the run-first wishbone offense.

Allen was a traditional, drop-back passer, which made him a tough fit in Rodgers’ offense. Defensive back Danny Myers was moved to quarterback to better fit Rodgers’ scheme, putting Allen in a battle for playing time that continued for the rest of his collegiate career.

Allen recalled teammates calling for Rodgers to “Dial 9,” a nod to Allen’s jersey number. Despite the setback, Allen says he told himself to just wait for any opportunity that came along and make the most of it.

“To be very honest, it was kind of tough knowing and your teammates believing you should have started,” Allen said. “If you look at the history, there were two games in a row where I came in with us down and brought the team back to victory.”

Allen was involved in one of the most historic plays in college football history in 1975. In at quarterback on the final play of a 24-3 loss to Notre Dame, Allen was sacked to end the game by a 5-foot-6 Fighting Irish player named Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger.

Ruettiger’s tackle of Allen capped off an inspirational journey for the Notre Dame walk-on later made famous in the 1993 film “Rudy.”

“It was crazy, to hear them chanting, ‘Rudy! Rudy!’ I was thinking, ‘Why are they calling my name?’ I had no idea what was going on at the time,” Allen said. “It’s hard to forget that. Afterward, you learn you helped a guy make history.”

Allen left Georgia Tech after the 1975 season and signed a free-agent contract with the Chicago Bears. His stay in Chicago did not last long, however, as complications due to his Type 1 diabetes forced him to retire. Allen returned to Georgia Tech, completed his industrial management degree and moved back to Columbus.

Allen began his career in the management training program at First National Bank. Soon after, Georgia Tech alum Bill Turner brought Allen on board with Char-Broil, where Allen worked for 12 years. Allen later worked for the Boys & Girls Club of Columbus, TSYS and the tax commissioner’s office before retiring.

Though his athletic career had some trying times, Allen said that everything worked out for the best.

“I don’t care what the experience and I don’t care how unfortunate things sometimes seem, there’s always method to the madness,” Allen said. “I learned from that experience. Sometimes you just have to be patient and wait on the good Lord. Things generally work out.”

Allen said his family has taken great pride in his induction, with his oldest son Rudy III repeatedly calling him a “Hall of Famer.” Joking aside, it’s a meaningful moment for Allen, who accomplished quite a bit over the course of his playing days.

“It’s a great honor,” Allen said. “I appreciate them even considering me.”

This story was originally published January 27, 2018 at 9:08 AM with the headline "Former Kendrick, Georgia Tech player Rudy Allen selected to Chattahoochee Valley Hall of Fame."