Chicago Bears’ Jared Allen building a home for an injured vet
Chicago Bears defensive end Jared Allen was one of the biggest prizes in free agency this offseason after signing a four-year deal to leave the NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings in favor of the “Monsters of the Midway.” However, Allen was back in Minnesota last week to help build a home for an injured vet.
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Allen is building a new handicap-accessible home for Marine Corporal Colin Faust, who according to ChicagoBears.com was badly injured while serving in Afghanistan in 2010. Faust reportedly lost his left leg and suffered severe injuries to his right leg and left arm after stepping on an improvised explosive device (IED).
“It’s an incredible feeling that someone has the heart and generosity to take their fame and wealth and do something for good,” Faust told KSTP-TV in Minneapolis.
Allen formed Homes for Wounded Warriors after he came back from a USO trip to the Middle East in 2009. Allen’s brother, father and two of his uncles have served in the Marines and Air Force, so this is something close to his heart coming from a military family. It is more or a less a way to say thank you to the servicemen for their commitment and dedication to our country.
His foundation has provided financial assistance to convert existing homes into handicap-accessible homes, but this is the first time a home is being built from the ground up.
Allen is a five-time Pro Bowler and one of the best sack-artists of his generation, but his work off-the-field ranks above and beyond any of his on-field accomplishments of which there are plenty, including recording 22 sacks in 2011.