After picking up his nickname through youth football, former Penn State running back Kaytron Allen and head coach Dan Quinn share their thoughts on 'Fat Man'
Rookie minicamp is officially complete for the Washington Commanders after the front office brought in a long list of tryout players to pair with the nine undrafted free agents who signed and six draft picks. Yet one who continues to draw buzz as a fan favorite is Kaytron Allen, the Virginia native who ended his college career as the all-time leading rusher at Penn State.
Allen proved himself as the better of the two running back prospects at Penn State after rushing for over 2,400 yards and 23 touchdowns over his final two seasons. Yet prior to arriving in State College, Allen spent time learning from former Washington fullback Mike Sellers during his senior season at IMG Academy, giving the rookie a chance to carve out a role in the backfield just like his former coach.
The first of two selections in the sixth round, Allen now arrives in Washington with a chance to round out what could be an unproven, yet intriguing mix of running backs behind quarterback Jayden Daniels. With Rachaad White upgrading the receiving ability from the unit and Jacory Croskey-Merritt potentially adding big play ability to the room, Allen arrives as the potential short yardage back to complement the rest of the unit.
Washington also re-signed Jeremy McNichols while Jerome Ford joins White as the second running back in free agency, yet the rookie also arrives as the exception in the unit given he arrives as the one with the iconic nickname: 'Fat Man'.
Whether it sticks in Washington is a different story, but Allen knows what he wants the fanbase to refer to him as.
"I want to be called Fat Man but if not, I'll be called Kaytron too. It [doesn't] matter to me but Fat Man is what I prefer. Kaytron cool too, my mama gave it to me," he said after minicamp.
As for head coach Dan Quinn, he wants no part of that after adding he has yet to call Allen by his nickname.
"And I'm hopefully never going to," he joked.
Allen will also become Washington's first offensive player to wear the number 31 since former Florida running back Matt Jones in the 2016 season. While Allen will look to fare better than the former third round pick who failed to last two seasons with the organization, the Virginia native arrives in Washington with a chance to materialize into a 53-man player amid a running back room that has much to sort out under position coach Anthony Lynn.
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