Texas News: Highland Park’s Randy Allen wins NFL award for high school coaches

Randy Allen
gamestrat high school football sideline instant replay

by USA TODAY High School Sports

USA TODAY High School Sports is a partner of High School Football America

Highland Park (Dallas) football coach Randy Allen was named the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year on Sunday at the Pro Bowl in Orlando.

All 32 NFL teams nominated a coach to be in contention for the award. Allen was nominated by the Dallas Cowboys.

“Randy is someone that I respect and admire greatly. He is a man who understands the fundamental responsibility of being a high school football coach—and that is to build character and shape young lives,” said Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. “He teaches integrity and life lessons as well as he does the X’s and O’s, and he is very successful builder of character.”

See more high school sports coverage from our partner USA TODAY High School Sports

Jones’ grandson, John Stephen, helped lead Highland Park to the Texas 5A Division 1 title with a 16-7 victory against Temple in a game at the Cowboys’ home, AT&T Stadium. Allen, who has been at Highland Park for 18 years, also won a state title in 2005 when the team’s quarterback was Matthew Stafford, currently of the Detroit Lions.

As the national winner, Allen will receive $25,000 from the NFL Foundation, with $15,000 going to the high school’s football program. He also will be a guest of the NFL during Super Bowl LI in Houston and walk the red carpet at NFL Honors, the nationally televised event the night before the Super Bowl.

Related: Highland Park’s Randy Allen appears on High School Football America Radio Show

According to a press release, the Shula award was “created to honor exemplary high school football coaches who demonstrate a commitment to player health and safety, and the integrity, achievement and leadership exemplified by the winningest coach in NFL history, Don Shula.”

The runner-up was Green Bay Packers nominee Steve Jones from Kimberly (Wis.). The Papermakers ended the season with the longest active 11-man football winning streak in the nation. Jones receives $15,000 from the NFL Foundation, with $10,000 going to his school’s football program.

Follow USA TODAY High School Sports on Twitter at USATODAYHSS

 

No More Fumbles

Play Football

nfl play football

About the Author

Jeff Fisher
Jeff is an award-winning journalist and expert in the field of high school sports, underscored with his appearance on CNBC in 2010 to talk about the big business of high school football in America.Jeff turned to his passion for high school football into an entrepreneurial venture called High School Football America, a digital media company focused on producing original high school sports content for radio, television and the internet.Jeff is co-founder and editor-in-chief of High School Football America, a partner with NFL Play Football.