A 6-foot-5, 328-pound defensive tackle out of Louisiana State, Kenderick Allen joined the Packers in the offseason from the New York Giants, where he spent the previous two seasons.
In a reserve role, Allen played in 14 total games last year, recording 21 tackles (15 solo), two sacks and two fumble recoveries. Overall in three NFL seasons, Allen has played in 29 games with three starts, amassing 51 tackles (40 solo) and three sacks.
A nondrafted free agent originally from Bogalusa, La., Allen entered the NFL with the New Orleans Saints in 2003.
Packers.com recently sat down with the big man from the Deep South to see how he would tackle a few random questions.
Packers.com: Outside of football, who is your favorite athlete?
Allen: I would definitely say Shaquille O'Neal. He's a big athlete. Most people look at big guys and think they're stiff and can't dance. If you remember when Shaq was younger you would always see him dancing and cracking a lot of jokes, so I've been a Shaquille O'Neal fan since LSU. So it also helps that we went to the same school.
Have you been following him in the playoffs?
Yeah, I've been watching them. I predict it is going to go all seven games but I'm not sure who is going to win. I like both teams, so I'm not sure who will end up winning.
We can't let you off that easy, what if you had to pick a winner?
I'm going to go with the Heat, based on Shaq's presence.
What was your favorite class you took in college?
Sociology. I got to talk a lot. In sociology you're never wrong. It's all a matter of opinion about society, so you could never be wrong and just say whatever you thought.
Who is the best player you have ever played against?
Larry Allen (G, San Francisco). People have been saying that his career is close to being over, but I disagree. Larry Allen's still got it. I did pretty good against him, I was a grown man about it, but Larry Allen is a heck of an offensive lineman.
Playstation or Xbox?
Neither. I'll stick with the old school Nintendo or Sega Genesis and maybe a little Super Nintendo.
What was the worst thing you did as a kid to get in trouble?
I was a pretty good kid, but I did set the house on fire. I should probably explain that one. I was trying to be helpful, trying to help out my step-sisters burn some hair. I'm from the South and there are a lot of superstitions about throwing hair away. There's the old saying about hair...you're not supposed to throw it away because the birds fly away and you get bald spots and headaches.
So my step-sister was trying to burn some hair. She couldn't get it to burn. She tried alcohol and still couldn't get it to burn. I had keys to all of my dad's tools so I went and got a gallon of gas. We were on the back stairs and I guess I poured a little too much and poof. But I did manage to put it out. That was the first and only time that my daddy whooped me.
Do you have any pre-game rituals?
Yes. I dance the whole pre-game. I act a fool and dance the entire pre-game.
Would you care to demonstrate?
Not at this moment, but maybe later.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
Being a good father. I take pride in being a good father, spending as much time as I can with my son and teaching him the things that my father taught me.
What is your favorite restaurant?
That would have to be the Long Branch Fish House. It's a little fish restaurant back home. They cook only the freshest catfish and they don't fry it until you order it. They have the best homemade tartar sauce. If you ever get to Bogalusa, La., you have got to go to Long Branch.
