He wasn't the guy on the billboards. When you think of that 2017 Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl run, your mind probably goes straight to Nick Foles’ Philly Special or Brandon Graham’s strip-sack on Tom Brady. But if you ask the guys in that locker room about the soul of that championship defense, they’ll tell you about a 330-pound nose tackle from Wisconsin who went by "The Butter King."
Beau Allen Philadelphia Eagles fans will tell you, wasn't just a depth chart filler. He was the ultimate "glue guy."
Drafted in the seventh round in 2014—pick 224, to be exact—Allen arrived in Philly as a long shot. Seventh-rounders are usually camp bodies. They're guys who hope to make the practice squad so they can afford a decent apartment in Jersey. Instead, Allen became a staple. He played in every single game of his first three seasons. That’s 48 straight games of putting his face in the fan against 600 pounds of double-teams. Honestly, in a league where "available" is the best ability, Allen was a machine.
The Secret Weapon: Why Beau Allen Was More Than a Backup
People look at his career stats—2.5 sacks over seven years—and they think "meh." That’s because they don’t understand nose tackle play. Beau Allen’s job was to be a human roadblock. He occupied two offensive linemen so Fletcher Cox and Mychal Kendricks could actually make the plays that show up on SportsCenter.
You’ve gotta love a guy who embraces the dirty work.
In 2016, things got weird. Most defensive tackles just want to hit the quarterback, but Beau was out there playing fullback. Chip Kelly and later Doug Pederson realized that having a 327-pound athlete leading the way on goal-line sets was basically like running a bulldozer into a picket fence. He was out there paving lanes for Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles, grinning through his facemask the whole time.
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The Super Bowl LII Homecoming
The 2017 season was the peak. But for Beau, it was personal. Super Bowl LII was being played in Minneapolis, which is basically his backyard. He grew up in Minnetonka, just a 20-minute drive from U.S. Bank Stadium.
Imagine that.
You spend your whole life dreaming of the NFL, you get drafted by a team halfway across the country, and the biggest game of your life happens in the city where you played high school ball.
During that Super Bowl week, Allen wasn't just a player; he was a tour guide. He was taking teammates to his parents' house and showing them where to get the best food in the Twin Cities. On game day? He logged two tackles and played a critical role in the rotation that eventually gassed the Patriots’ offensive line. When the confetti fell, he wasn't just a champion. He was a hometown hero who’d conquered the world in front of his mom, Susie, and his dad, Matt.
Life After the Linc: The Podcast and the Vaseline Hack
Beau left for Tampa Bay in 2018 on a three-year, $15 million deal. It was the "get paid" moment every seventh-rounder dreams of. But Philly never really left him. Even after retiring in 2022, he's remained a massive part of the Eagles' cultural orbit.
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Nowadays, you’ve probably heard him on the Green Light podcast with Chris Long or his own show Fax and the King. He’s got that rare athlete quality where he’s actually funny and insightful without sounding like he’s reading a PR script.
Recently, he even popped up in early 2026 doing a campaign with Vaseline. It sounds like a joke, but it’s actually a brilliant "vet hack" he learned early on. He’d coat his arms in it during those freezing December games at Lincoln Financial Field. Why? Because he never wore sleeves.
"The Butter King" didn't believe in them.
The Vaseline created a barrier against the wind and made it harder for offensive linemen to grab him. It’s that kind of old-school, gritty mentality that made the Beau Allen Philadelphia Eagles connection so strong. Philly fans see themselves in guys who refuse to wear sleeves in 20-degree weather.
Why We Still Talk About Him
It’s easy to celebrate the superstars. But a team like the 2017 Eagles doesn't happen without the Beau Allens of the world. He was the guy who once carried a "refusing to go home" Jason Kelce out of a bar "fireman style" after a holiday party because that's what teammates do.
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He was the guy who could play 40% of the snaps and never complain about not starting.
He brought a levity to the locker room that balanced out the high-pressure environment of NFL football. When he returned to the Linc as an honorary captain in late 2023, the ovation wasn't just a "thanks for the ring" clap. It was a "you're one of us" roar.
Actionable Insights for Eagles Fans and Historians:
- Watch the Tape: If you ever re-watch the 2017 season, don't watch the ball. Watch #94. Look at how often he resets the line of scrimmage.
- Listen to the Pods: If you want the real, unvarnished stories of the Super Bowl locker room, Green Light with Chris Long is the gold standard for Beau's best anecdotes.
- Embrace the Role Player: Allen is the perfect example of why draft grade "experts" are often wrong. You can't measure heart or locker room impact at a combine.
Beau Allen proved that you don't need a gold jacket to be a legend in Philadelphia. You just need to work hard, stay authentic, and maybe put a little Vaseline on your arms when the temperature drops.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into the mechanics of that 2017 defense, I recommend checking out the All-22 coaches' film from the NFC Championship game against Minnesota; it’s a masterclass in interior line rotation.