By JUDD ZULGAD, Star Tribune

September 25, 2008

Jared Allen didn't make a big deal of it when he received the letter from NFL this month, but there was no dismissing its importance.

After two years, the Pro Bowl defensive end was no longer in the league's substance abuse program. "I don't have to tell them where I travel to anymore," Allen said. "I'm back to being a normal citizen in the NFL."

This is important because Allen was considered to be in Stage 2 of the program and could have faced a one-year suspension if he had another offense. That is no longer the case.

Allen's off-the-field issues were well-documented when the Vikings acquired him from Kansas City last spring and then made him the highest-paid defensive player in league history.

He had been arrested three times for drunken driving between 2002 and 2006, and giving him a six-year, $74.5 million deal that included $31 million guaranteed was considered to be a risk.

But Allen made an immediate impression by never attempting to dodge questions about his past -- he had been suspended for the first two games of 2007 by the NFL for violating its personal conduct policy -- and made it clear that while he still went full speed on the field his hard living ways off of it were behind him.

Allen has said on numerous occasions he no longer consumes alcohol.

Being taken out of the NFL's program is further proof Allen is doing far more than providing lip service.

Greg Aiello, an NFL spokesman, declined to confirm Allen is out of the program when asked Wednesday. Aiello wrote in an e-mail that "a player's status in the program is confidential other than announcing a player's suspension for violating the program."

While Aiello would not get into any specifics regarding Allen, he did confirm that a player entered into the program "will rotate out after two years if he has no violations."

For program purposes, such as failures to cooperate, positive tests and treatment plan violations, the clock has been reset for Allen. His record with the NFL is clean.

However, for violations of the law, such as drunken driving, Commissioner Roger Goodell would take prior history into account.

Not that any of this concerns Allen.

"I put that stuff behind me as soon as it happened," he said. "It's just nice to finally get to the end. You finally see all the hard work pay off."

Allen's work on the field is paying off, too. His two sacks in three games tie him with defensive tackle Kevin Williams for the team lead. Last season, defensive linemen Kenechi Udeze and Ray Edwards and linebacker Ben Leber tied for the team lead with only five sacks apiece.

Allen, who had 15.5 sacks in 14 games in 2007, also has six quarterback hurries and has opened up opportunities for teammates by drawing double teams.

Being out of the program will give Allen even more time to focus on football. He no longer will be subject to the random testing prescribed by the substance abuse program, and he won't have to inform league officials when he is traveling and where he is going. Allen even had to talk to a counselor on occasion.

This month's news won't be the only positive off-the-field step for Allen. He is due to get his driver's license back in early October after having it revoked because of his two drunken-driving arrests in 2006.

Allen has been employing a driver for about the last six months.

"When I get my license back it will be two years and I'm finally done," he said.

"Nothing else is lingering over my head. I can just continue to do what I'm doing."