Beau Allen has thought a lot about the honor of announcing the Eagles' second-round draft pick(s) tonight at the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay. What to wear. How to pronounce the name. The tone. The setting.
See, Allen didn't have a chance to attend the 2014 NFL Draft when the Eagles selected him in the seventh round. Instead, Allen was at his parents' home in Minnesota, and when his name appeared on the television scroller as the 224th overall pick at the same time Allen's phone rang with a 215 area code, the University of Wisconsin defensive tackle was in the basement getting some much-needed quiet time.
"I felt I was going to go late in that draft, but at the same time the whole weekend was about anticipation and excitement, and as the first two nights passed and then the rounds went by on that Saturday, I started to wonder," said Allen, who will represent the Eagles on Friday night as part of the NFL's Legends Program that features a heavy Wisconsin flavor. "One time, my phone rang, and I was so excited and it turned out to be the American Red Cross calling about a blood drive.
"I finally went down into the basement just to get away from the crowd of people we had over to my parents' house. I needed some quiet time, I was talking to my agent, trying to figure things out. Then I heard my family and friends upstairs go crazy and just then my phone rang and it was Howie (Roseman, Eagles Executive Vice President/General Manager), Chip Kelly (then-head coach), and Azz (Jerry Azzinaro, then-defensive line coach) calling me to tell me I had been drafted."
It was a dream come true. For Allen, Friday night is an opportunity to represent the Eagles and shine light on the player(s) they pick in Round 2.
"I'm humbled, honored, and really excited," said Allen, who will attend an NFL Legends Wisconsin Alumni Watch Party on Thursday night, have brunch with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Friday, and then prepare for his announcing duties later in the day. "This is going to be so much fun. I am very much aware that it isn't about me; it's about the player the Eagles draft as he starts his NFL future. He's going to hear his name called. It's going to be his moment, so I have to make sure I don't pull a John Travolta (actor who announced the wrong name at the 2024 Oscars Awards).
"My plan is go up there and do my job, look good, and have some fun."
Look good? Like what?
"I'm definitely going to be wearing my Super Bowl (LII) ring, a nice suit with Eagles green, and an accessory that I'm not going to tell you about," Allen said. "It's gonna be a nice fit. And if I have a chance to make multiple announcements, I'm going to change my look and see how that goes.
"But, really, it's about making the announcement, honoring the player, and doing the Eagles proud. I'm really honored by this."
Allen played with the Eagles from 2014-2017 and then finished his NFL career with two seasons in Tampa Bay. He played 63 games with eight starts in Philadelphia (Allen played in 90 NFL games with 16 starts) and in that magical 2017 World Championship season, Allen played in 43.4 percent of the defensive snaps in 15 regular-season games and then added another 73 defensive snaps in three playoffs wins, including 23 defensive snaps (2 total tackles) and another 13 special teams snaps in the 41-33 win over New England in Super Bowl LII.
