Oregon wide receiver Devon Allen's dream of Olympic gold is still alive. Allen qualified for the semifinals of the men's 110-meter hurdles at the Rio Olympic Games Monday night with a time of 13.41 seconds.
Following a rain delay, the Ducks' two-sport athlete finished second in Heat 4 on a wet track to earn a spot in Tuesday's semifinal event. Heat 4 winner Konstadinos Douvalidis also recorded a time of 13.41, but was credited with a narrow victory over Allen. The top four finishers in each of five heats, plus the next four best times, qualified for the semifinals. Allen's path to the semifinals was made a bit easier when France's Wilhelm Belocian was disqualified for a false start in Heat 4.
Allen turned in a first-place finish at the U.S. Olympic Trials to qualify for the Rio Games with a time of 13.03 seconds.
Ducks coach Mark Helfrich told College Football 24/7 that he would make accommodations for the UO football team to watch Allen's performance, and was true to his word. The Ducks' gathering to see Allen was captured via Periscope:
Allen's legitimacy as a draft prospect is undeniable.
Beyond the obvious -- that his speed is beyond reproach -- Allen showed more than that in his only season as a regular starter with the Ducks in 2014. NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah said he was impressed with Allen's toughness in catching passes over the middle of the field, an asset that track athletes sometimes lack on the football field.
A knee injury limited Allen's playing time last year and he made just nine catches after racking up 41 the previous season. But Allen told College Football 24/7 he intends to re-prove himself on the football field for UO this fall.
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