How the Vikings’ Jared Allen, the only Hall of Famer to ever wear No. 69, ended up with that number

Reporters covering Jared Allen’s six-year contract with the Vikings back in 2008 often rounded up to $73.3 million, a record for a defensive player at the time.

The actual total, per Allen’s well-crafted sense of humor, was $73,260,069.

The 69 bucks that Allen had his agent, Ken Harris, tack on was an ode to Allen’s jersey number, which the defensive end wore for 12 NFL seasons as an example of his throwback mentality and a playful personality that laughed at the risqué double entendre.

Guess what? Twenty-one years after the Chiefs handed him that odd number, Allen will become the first of 382 Pro Football Hall of Famers to have worn No. 69 when he enters the Canton, Ohio, shrine with the Class of 2025 in late July.

“Nice!” Allen texted Tuesday afternoon, a couple of hours after taking Twin Cities reporters on a laugh-filled 36-minute joy ride news conference through his memories of a 12-year career that saw him post three of his four first-team All-Pro seasons and 85½ of his 136 sacks in six seasons with the Vikings.

Let’s start with how the greatest NFL player to ever wear No. 69 ended up with that number. Allen wore No. 1 at Los Gatos High School in California and No. 45 at Division I-AA Idaho State to honor his best friend, who had died in high school.

“[The Chiefs] gave me 69, an O-lineman number, and I was, ‘Great, they’re definitely cutting me,’ ” said Allen, a fourth-round draft pick whose skill as a long-snapper played as big a role as any in the Chiefs selecting him.

The Chiefs had another player in camp wearing No. 69.

“A fat O-lineman,” Allen remembers. “I said, ‘We can’t both make it. I can’t get cut for this guy.’ ”

Allen survived the final cuts. The fat O-lineman did not.

“Our equipment guy asked, ‘Do you want a 90s number now?’ ” Allen said.

Before Allen could answer, Chiefs defensive line coach Bob Karmelowicz, Allen’s first NFL mentor, talked him out of changing numbers.

“Bob, he had this raspy voice, and he says, ‘You’re an old-school player. That’s an old-school number. You keep it and make it cool,’ ” Allen said. “I said all right. I just wanted to play. Next thing you know, it stuck.”

Allen’s love of NFL history and respect for the great Vikings and other players who came before him oozed as he spoke about the Hall of Famers he’s already met and the ones he hopes to meet, such as career sack king Bruce Smith, when this year’s class takes center stage in Canton this summer.

“You don’t come into this league playing for a gold jacket,” Allen said of the Hall of Fame’s signature prize. “You play for the respect of your peers.

“I got an email one time from [Hall of Famer] Jack Youngblood. It was very brief. I don’t even know how he got my email. He must be in the CIA or something. He just thanked me for playing the game the right way. That right there, I’m good. I don’t need Pro Bowls. I want to honor those who did it the right way before me. And I hope one day some kid will try to do the same thing.”