Deuce McAllister

Dulymus Jenod McAllister, nicknamed "Deuce", is a professional football running back who is currently a free agent. He previously played for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL).

McAllister was drafted out of the University of Mississippi by the Saints during the 2001 NFL Draft. He was selected in the first round, as the 23rd overall pick.

McAllister played eight seasons for the New Orleans Saints. He first became a Pro Bowler in 2002, his first NFL season as a starter where he led the NFC with 1,388 rushing yards and scored 16 touchdowns. In 2003, he finished second in the NFC in rushing yards with 1,641 yards on 351 carries, and was named to his second Pro Bowl appearance.

In 2005, McAllister was sidelined the entire season with a torn ACL in the right knee. He returned to his running duties in 2006. In 2007, he was again sidelined with an injury, this time tearing the ACL in his left knee.

On February 17, 2009, the New Orleans Saints waived McAllister to clear salary cap space.

College Career

Deuce McAllister played college football for Ole Miss. He had a record breaking career for the Rebels. McAllister is the only player in the history of Ole Miss to record three seasons with at least 1,000 all-purpose yards. He finished his college career with Ole Miss records for carries (616), yards (3,060), rushing TDs (36), total touchdowns (41) points (246) and 100-yard games (13).


Professional Career

New Orleans Saints

McAllister was drafted by the Saints in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft. He became the starting running back after Ricky Williams was traded. He went on to rush for over 1,000 yards in three straight seasons (a first in Saints' history). As of 2005, he ranks first in team record books with 5,586 rushing yards and 44 touchdowns and is first with 22 100-yard games, including a franchise-record nine straight contests in 2003. The Saints were 14-8 when he rushed for 100 yards in a single game, and McAllister has added 212 receptions for 1,577 yards and four touchdowns.

McAllister threw a touchdown pass on December 9 2001 vs. the Atlanta Falcons. In 2003, he finished second in the NFC in rushing and fourth in the league with a career-high 1,641 yards on 351 carries which is second in club history (RB George Rogers, 1,674 yards, 1981). Including the 516 yards on a career-high 69 receptions, McAllister posted 2,157 yards that season to set a club record and rank second in the NFC. All of these accomplishments were an encore to 2002, when in his first year as a starter he led the conference with 1,388 rushing yards, scored 16 TDs and was voted to the Pro Bowl. McAllister is the lone Saints' running back to be voted to the Pro Bowl in consecutive seasons.

McAllister was placed on injured reserve on October 10 2005, after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, and returned to the roster for the 2006 season. While Deuce remained the starter, he shared time in the backfield for the first time in his career with the Saints' first-round draft pick Reggie Bush. In his first-ever play-off start McAllister rushed for 143 yards on 21 carries with one touchdown and had 4 catches for 20 yards and another touchdown as New Orleans defeated Philadelphia, 27-24 to earn its first-ever NFC Championship Game appearance in the team's 40-year history.

On September 24, 2007, during a game against the Tennessee Titans, McAllister tore his ACL in his left knee. The injury resulted in McAllister being placed on injured reserve, thereby missing the remainder of the 2007 season. Deuce returned to action on September 14, 2008 against the Washington Redskins, carrying the ball twice for 10 yards. McAllister scored his first rushing touchdown since December 24, 2006 in the September 28, 2008 game against the San Francisco 49ers.

McAllister set the all-time rushing TD record for the New Orleans Saints with a score against the Green Bay Packers on November 24, 2008.

The Saints released McAllister on February 17, 2009 due to salary cap problems. On August 23, 2009, he met with agent Matt Hinkamp about signing a deal with a Europe-based team.

McAllister runs the Catch 22 Foundation, which is dedicated to under-privileged youth and adolescents in the Gulf South Region. He also owns Deuce McAllister Nissan, a car dealership in Jackson, Mississippi, which has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy March 3, 2009, and is being sued by Nissan Finance, which alleges that the dealership has defaulted on its payments.

He filed a civil suit against Razzoo Bar and Patio, a Bourbon Street nightclub, after a Mardi Gras 2004 incident in which he claimed he was assaulted by the club's bouncers. The two sides came to a confidential settlement in 2009.