Hall of Fame

Coach Carl Allen was born in Hattiesburg MS on December 21st 1955.  Carl became an outstanding athlete in the game of football and earned a scholarship to the University City of Southern Mississippi.    He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 11th round of the 1977 NFL Draft as a defensive back, but played his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals. In the Mid-80s, Coach Allen left the NFL for the new USFL league that was luring and enticing NFL players to join them.   After a few years with the USFL (Houston Gamblers), Coach Allen retired from the game and came back to St. Louis where he eventually came to the Jennings School District where he served as the junior high in school suspension supervisor and physical education teacher.  Coach Allen served as the quarterback and defensive backs.   After 5 district championships and the first non-co conference championship (2006), Coach Allen stepped away from coach in 2012.  Coach served the junior high for 7 more years and retired in the 2020 school year.

Coach Allen passed away on March 31st of 2021.   He was loved by so many students and student athletes….especially the defensive backs that he coached at Jennings Senior High.  Coach Allen was known to excessively use the word “DUDE”.   All of us at Jennings certainly will miss our favorite teacher, coach and dude.  Coach Allen is survived by his sons Mike and Vincent and his daughters Carla and Monika (pictured below at the JSH memorial service for their dad).