Vikings trivia question: Which former All-Pro defensive end nearly took up badminton in a bid to make the Olympic team?
The answer is Jared Allen, who dismissed that idea because it involved too much running. But Allen didn't give up on the part about getting to the Olympics. After longtime friend Brandon Moles bet him that he couldn't make the U.S. team in any sport, Allen picked a different game — curling — and got to work.
Five years later, Allen is still at it. He will play in this week's U.S. championships as part of a team skipped by Minnesota native Jason Smith, chasing a berth at the world championships in April. A man who once made his living with brute force is now immersed in a sport that requires finesse and delicacy, on an unlikely quest to go from curling newbie to Olympic rock star in record time.
Allen's team is among eight in the men's draw at the nationals in Denver. He said he is in it to win it, with an eye toward the 2026 Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy.
"I thought curling was going to be a lot easier than it was,'' said Allen, 40, who will make his third appearance at the U.S. championships. "But I'm one of those guys who, once I start something, I'm going to see it through. Our goal at nationals is to beat as many teams as we possibly can and see where we land.''
2010 Olympian John Benton was Allen's first curling instructor. The St. Michael, Minn., native thinks Team Smith could make the four-team playoff round, with Allen contributing more than celebrity cachet.
"I knew the first time he called me he was going to stick with it,'' Benton said. "A lot of people underestimate what it takes to get to the Olympics in this sport. Jared isn't goofing off. He's putting in the time.
"Some people thought he would make a joke out of it. But he took to the sport pretty quickly. And he's one of those guys who, when he says he's going to do something, he really works hard at it.''
