STATELINE, Nev. (KOLO) - For the first time in the history of the [Grand Slam of Curling](https://www.thegrandslamofcurling.com/) the event is on United States soil.
NFL hall of famer, Jared Allen, used his ties to the sport and the Lake Tahoe area to bring the event to the Tahoe Blue Event Center in Stateline, Nevada November 4-9, 2025.
During the week of competition Kurt Schroeder caught up with the legendary defensive end with the Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, and Carolina Panthers.
Here is the transcript from their conversation.
KURT SCHROEDER: “How did you get into this sport of all things?”
JARED ALLEN: “I took a bet from a buddy to try and make the Olympics. I didn’t make the Olympics so I settled for the Grand Slam of Curling. It’s kind of like the Olympics because all the Olympians are here. I took a bet. I fell in love with it. I’ve been curling for right around six years because I didn’t curl last year. I’m part of the investment group that invests into the Grand Slam of Curling and stuff like that so the opportunity came up to put a team together and play with some curling legends.”
SCHROEDER: “How would you just describe your passion for this sport? So many years removed from the NFL I imagine you still want to have some of that competitive spirit out there.”
ALLEN: “Not necessarily chasing it as competitive spirit I’m just one of those guys who when I commit to something I’m all in, right? I might not be the best but I darn sure won’t be the worst. I’m making sure I’m not the guy on tape that’s causing all the problems.”
SCHROEDER: “Can you take me through your Tahoe ties and how you got this event to this arena?”
ALLEN: “I grew up in the Bay Area so my wife and I and the kids summer up here. I curl at the Epic Curling Club in the summer and so honestly all I did was have connections. Ray and Larry and guys from the curling club introduced me to people who run the event center here and when we were talking about bringing the Grand Slam of Curling to the United States for the first time and this was the time frame I was like ‘there’s no better backdrop than Lake Tahoe’.”
SCHROEDER: “You had 136 career sacks in the NFL. There’s so much twitch, so much power, so much explosiveness. Get to the quarterback as quickly as possible. For this a little bit more balance a little bit more patience. How have you adapted?”
ALLEN: “Yeah that’s what makes it fun. Challenging yourself in a new way. Aggression does not work for you in this sport. You have to be able to reset. You have to be able to sweep end to end on your skip’s last stone and come back and throw a hit or something. Being able to control your heart rate, control that adrenaline and understanding your slide and where you need to be at and creating that muscle memory for each shot and that’s what makes it fun.”
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