Allen Hurns allergic to grass, not to making plays

As if beating the odds and signing a huge second contract after going undrafted wasn’t impressive enough, Allen Hurns is thriving despite a very inconvenient allergy.

An afterthought in an offense-heavy 2014 draft class, third year wide receiver Allen Hurns is used to being out of the spotlight. He signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars after the 2014 NFL Draft with the hope of fighting for the 4th receiver spot behind veteran Cecil Shorts III and 2nd round rookies Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson.

Rather than hoping, Hurns went to work and was the most productive receiver on the team as a rookie. He followed that up with an outstanding sophomore campaign, compiling 115 passes for 1,708 yards and 16 touchdowns in his first two years.

All that production earned Hurns a lucrative contract extension this week. That wasn’t the only news that came out regarding Hurns however.

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Somehow kept quiet over the last 2 years, Hurns recently talked about an interesting challenge he has to overcome every day –

his allergy to grass

.

"Hurns said he doesn’t experience breathing problems. His nose doesn’t get stuffy or runny either. He has skin breakouts that vary in degrees. Some days they’re barely there. Other days he said he has to take a Benadryl after practice or games if it’s a particularly severe breakout."

I know a few folks with allergies to grass and they have issues breathing, so it’s good to hear Hurns isn’t affected to that degree. Like a lot of allergies, there isn’t much Hurns can do besides treat the symptoms and be proactive about avoiding contact.

"There’s nothing Hurns can do to stop the breakouts from happening other than wearing the long sleeves and tights — or giving up the sport altogether. The only other thing he does is drink a lot of water because he said staying hydrated helps."

Thankfully, this hasn’t kept Allen Hurns from being an outstanding receiver and a foundational piece on offense for the foreseeable future.