Damon Allen Damon Allen ( born July 29 , 1963 in San Diego , California ) is a former professional quarterback in the Canadian Football League , most recently with the Toronto Argonauts . He is currently second in all - time professional football passing yards and second in all - time CFL passing yards after he was surpassed for first place by the Montréal Alouettes ' Anthony Calvillo on October 10 , 2011 . He is pro - football ' s combine passing & rushing leader with a total of 84 , 301 yds . Allen retired as the professional football ' s all - time leading passer with 72 , 381 passing yards after he surpassed Warren Moon ' s total of 70 , 553 yards ( in both the CFL and NFL combined ) on September 4 , 2006 in the annual Labour Day Classic . He also retired in third place in all - time CFL rushing yards with 11 , 920 yards , behind Mike Pringle and George Reed . The 2007 season marked Allen ' s twenty - third season in the CFL and he officially announced his retirement on May 28 , 2008 at age 44 . Allen is the younger brother of NFL Hall of Famer Marcus Allen . Allen has been mentioned as one of the greatest CFL quarterbacks of all time after winning four Grey Cup s with three different franchises . He was a formidable passer and rusher , as he stands fifteenth on the all - time professional rushing list and retired only 323 yards behind his brother Marcus . In 2012 he was elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame . In May 2010 , Allen launched the Damon Allen Quarterback Academy , in which he personally teaches the skills and strategies of quarterbacking to students of all ages and skill levels . Personal life . Damon has three daughters : Amanda , Alyssa and Ateya and son Airus . They live in Oakville , Ontario . He is of African American descent . Early years . Damon Allen started playing football by the age of six for Valencia Park Pop Warner in San Diego . Damon played safety on defense and helped bring his team to the championship game in the Mighty - Mites league only to lose . In the Junior Peewee league , Damon again made it to the championships and this time his team won . This marked his first year as a quarterback . Damon became a force to be reckoned with , leading his team to two undefeated seasons , and winning the Junior Peewee league title for three years in a row . High school . In high school , Damon was the starting quarterback at Lincoln High School . He went on to a record of 22 - 2 for second year varsity as well as second year first team all - CIF . He led his team to two 2A Division CIF Football Championships , playing against and defeating childhood friend and fellow quarterback Mark McKinney ( Brigham Young University ) of Bonita Vista High School in the County Semi - finals their senior season . College years . Damon went on to play college football for California State University , Fullerton . There , Allen led the Titans to two Pacific Coast Athletic Association ( PCAA ) championships . He also broke a 26 - year - old NCAA record with only three interceptions in over 300 attempts and broke seven school records . He was a first team PCAA quarterback , and was named the UPI All West Coast team quarterback along with UNLV ' s Randall Cunningham . Allen was sixteenth in overall voting for the 1984 Heisman Trophy . He also played in the Senior Bowl college All - Star game ( completing 6 for 8 passes for 50 yards , 1 touchdown , and rushing for 20 yards on 3 carries ) . Allen was not only an outstanding football player , he was also a superior baseball player . He helped his Titans ' baseball team win the 1984 College World Series , leading his team to a regular season record of 66 - 20 as a pitcher . He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 1984 Major League Baseball Draft in the seventh round , the same year the Tigers won the Major League Baseball World Series . Allen never signed a professional , major league baseball contract with the Tigers , but did sign one with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1993 . Allen reported to the Pirates ' spring training camp in 1994 , but ultimately left camp and decided to play football . Professional career . Edmonton Eskimos . Allen joined the CFL as a free - agent in 1985 , signed by the Edmonton Eskimos , and threw for 661 yards and three touchdowns in his rookie season as a back - up to Matt Dunigan . In the 1987 season , Allen played in the Grey Cup championship game , replacing the injured starter Dunigan , and led the Eskimos to a Grey Cup victory , defeating the Toronto Argonauts 38 - 36 , at Vancouver ' s BC Place Stadium . His first Grey Cup win , Allen earned Grey Cup Most Valuable Player honours in the championship . Ottawa Rough Riders . In 1989 , Allen signed with the Ottawa Rough Riders . In 1991 , Allen was named an Eastern Division All - Star for the first time in his CFL career . During the 1991 season , Allen rushed for a career - high 1 , 036 yards and 8 touchdowns in 18 games , and passed for a then career - high 4 , 275 yards with 25 touchdowns . Hamilton Tiger - Cats . In 1992 , Allen signed with the Hamilton Tiger - Cats . In 18 games , Allen threw for 3 , 858 and 19 touchdowns , and rushed for 850 yards and 7 touchdowns , in his only season in " Steeltown . " After the 1992 season , Allen was traded to the Edmonton Eskimos . Edmonton Eskimos . In 1993 , in his second time around with Edmonton , Allen helped the Eskimos to victory in the Grey Cup game , winning his second title , and was named Grey Cup Most Valuable Player in a 33 - 23 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers . In 1994 , Allen led the Esks to the Western Division Semi - Finals , only to lose to the BC Lions . Memphis Mad Dogs . In 1995 , Allen signed as a free - agent with the Memphis Mad Dogs . He appeared in 15 games with the CFL expansion team , and threw for 3 , 211 yards and 11 touchdowns on 228 of 390 passing . Allen also rushed for 427 yards in his only professional season in the United States . BC Lions . In 1996 , Allen joined the BC Lions . In 1999 , Allen was voted to the CFL ' s West Division All - Star team . He threw for 4 , 219 yards on 315 of 521 passing with 22 touchdowns , ran the ball 136 times for 785 yards and 8 touchdowns , and threw for more than 300 yards on five occasions . In 2000 , Allen became the CFL ' s all - time leading passer on October 28 against Hamilton , throwing for 345 yards to surpass Ron Lancaster ' s previous record of 50 , 535 yards . Allen completed 324 of 525 passes ( 61 . 7 % ) to lead the CFL with a career - high 4 , 840 passing yards . Allen was nominated as the Lions ' Most Outstanding Player at the CFL Player Awards . Allen captured his first Grey Cup with the Lions ( third of his career ) throwing for 234 yards in a win over the Montreal Alouettes . Toronto Argonauts . In 2003 , after the acquisition of Dave Dickenson as their new quarterback , the 39 - year - old Allen was traded from the BC Lions to the Toronto Argonauts for a second - round draft pick in the 2004 CFL College Draft , and a third - round pick in the 2005 CFL College Draft . Allen ' s Argonaut re - debut was a 20 - 18 season - opening loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders that also marked Allen ' s 300th regular season game of his CFL career . In Week 7 , Allen became only the third quarterback in professional football history to pass for 60 , 000 yards against his former club , the BC Lions . In a Week 17 loss to the Ottawa Renegades , Allen completed 20 of 39 pass attempts for 203 yards , with 2 interceptions and 1 touchdown , giving Allen 334 career touchdown passes , and surpassing Ron Lancaster for the most career touchdown passes in CFL history . Allen would lead the Argos to the Eastern Division Final that year as well . In Week 9 of the 2004 season versus Montreal , Allen exited the game in the third quarter with a fractured left tibia , and spent Weeks 10 - 16 on the injured reserve roster . There was considerable concern that Allen , at 41 years of age , would never come back from such a severe injury , but he did . In Week 17 , Allen dressed as the third quarterback ( behind Michael Bishop and Romaro Miller ) for a game against the BC Lions . In Week 18 , Allen dressed as the backup quarterback behind Michael Bishop and entered the game versus the Calgary Stampeders at the end of the second quarter . Allen completed his first thirteen pass attempts , making him the second quarterback in Argonaut history ( Mike Rae , 17 of 17 versus Montreal , August 12 , 1975 ) to complete more than 12 passes consecutively in a game . Allen finished the game with 18 of 23 pass completions , and his 82 . 6 % completion percentage ranks fourth in Argo history for a single game . In the 2004 Grey Cup Championship against the BC Lions , Allen was named Grey Cup Most Valuable Player for third time in his legendary career . Allen led the Argos to their fifteenth Grey Cup Championship and won his fourth championship . Allen finished the game with 23 of 34 pass completions for 299 yards ( longest gain , 34 yards ) and 1 touchdown pass , and rushed 5 times for 10 yards ( longest gain , 5 yards ) and 2 rushing touchdowns . Allen continued his assault on the record books during the 2005 CFL season . On October 27 , 2005 , Damon reached the 5 , 000 - yard passing plateau for the first time in his 21 - year CFL career by posting a 34 - 11 victory against the Hamilton Tiger - Cats . The win guaranteed Toronto a first - place finish in the CFL East plus home field advantage in the playoffs . The game took place before 40 , 085 fans ; the largest crowd for a CFL game in Toronto since 1992 . However , the Argonauts were defeated 33 - 17 in the 2005 East Final by the Montreal Alouettes , thereby thwarting their hopes of repeating their 2004 Grey Cup win . In 2005 , Allen won his first CFL ' s Outstanding Player Award . In that year , he also hosted the inaugural " Damon Allen Quarterback Challenge " which featured top CFL quarterbacks participating in various skill competitions . In the Quarterback Challenge ' s second year , Allen won the event . In 2006 , Allen started the opening home game of the season against the Hamilton Tiger - Cats and broke the middle finger on his right hand on Toronto ' s third play . Allen was injured trying to break his fall after taking a late hit from Hamilton safety Wayne Shaw , who was penalized on the play . Allen missed nearly a month and a half of action with a broken finger , returning on July 29 vs . the BC Lions . On September 4 , 2006 , at the Labour Day Classic against the Hamilton Tiger - Cats , Allen broke Warren Moon ' s record ( 70 , 553 yards ) to become professional football ' s all - time passing leader . The record - setting completion , a 29 - yard shovel pass to wide receiver Arland Bruce III , took place at 5 : 02 of the third quarter . The game was suspended briefly for a presentation by CFL Commissioner Tom Wright . Allen ' s triumphant pose with the record - breaking football was captured by a photographer and later released by the Argos as a commemorative poster on their website . In November , 2006 was voted one of the CFL ' s Top 50 players ( # 14 ) of the league ' s modern era by Canadian sports network The Sports Network / TSN . On January 18 , 2007 Damon underwent successful surgery to repair the middle finger of his ( right ) throwing hand and was back in the gym training , in less than 24 hours . On February 28 , 2007 Allen re - signed a contract with the Argonauts for one year plus an option . His annual salary is $ 125 , 000 CAD . Incentives could make the deal worth more . Allen could earn as much or more than he did last year with bonuses that would be activated if he retains his job as the team ' s starting quarterback . Allen started the 2007 season as the Argos starting quarterback beating out Michael Bishop and former NFL starter Mike McMahon . However he was replaced in the third quarter of the first game by Bishop despite having gone 14 - 18 , 130 yards and a touchdown . Allen was then bumped down to third on the depth chart . However , after Bishop went down with a wrist injury and McMahon failed to impress , Allen stepped into the starting role once again . However , in his first game back as starter he injured his toe . Allen was placed on the nine - game injured list and Rocky Butler took over as the Argos starting quarterback Allen announced that his retirement as a player on May 28 , 2008 , but will stay with the Argos as a special advisor to CEO Pinball Clemons .