ASU's 50 Best Professional Athletes: No. 23 Football's Eric Allen

The first of a handful of Pro Football Hall of Fame caliber cornerbacks to appear on our list is 14-year pro Eric Allen.

Allen started his professional career with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was chosen by the franchise with the second pick in the second round of the 1988 NFL Draft.

He would spend the first seven seasons of his career in Philadelphia. During his time as an Eagle, he recorded 34 interceptions, returning five of them for touchdowns. Allen was named First Team All-Pro in 1989, Second Team All-Pro in 1991 and 1993, and logged Pro Bowl appearances in five of his seven years as a member of the "Gang Green" defense (1989, 1991-1994).

Following the 1994 season, Allen joined the New Orleans Saints, where he continued to be a stout defensive player. He returned to the Pro Bowl in 1995, and over the course of his three-year stint with the Saints intercepted five more passes.

He would leave New Orleans to join the Oakland Raiders in 1998. Despite suffering a season-ending knee injury in his first campaign in Oakland, Allen returned to top form.

In four seasons, the 5-foot-10 corner snagged 15 interceptions, including three returned for touchdowns during the 2000 season alone—he's currently the lone player in NFL history to have two seasons with more than one interception returned for a touchdown.

Allen retired following the 2001 season, but has been a fixture at ESPN where he has served as an analyst since 2002. He was entered into the Eagles Hall of Fame in 2011.

Check back tomorrow to see who will be No. 22 on our list of the 50 best professional athletes to come out of Arizona State.