Jaguars wide receiver Allen Hurns turned heads when recorded a career-high 1,031 yards and 10 touchdowns in his sophomore season with Jacksonville.
Why this is particularly notable is the fact that Hurns accomplished these stats while dealing with a grueling allergy to grass.
According to a report by Mike DiRocco of ESPN, Hurns was diagnosed with an allergy to grass when he was in high school. The diagnosis stemmed from a skin test performed after it was determined that Hurns was allergic to seafood.
The symptoms Hurns suffers range from skin rashes on his arms, legs and neck that vary in degree, per DiRocco. On some occasions the breakouts are so bothersome that Hurns has to take Benadryl following practice. Other times, his symptoms are practically non-existent.
To protect his body as best as possible from skin irritation, Hurns typically wears long sleeves and tights to cover his arms and legs. Obviously, that could be uncomfortable in itself considering the team practices under the hot, sunny Florida skies.
It also doesn’t help that the Jaguars’ home field is natural grass, as was the field he played on in college at the University of Miami. Per the report, Hurns fortunately doesn’t suffer with breathing or a runny nose due to his allergy.
What is probably most frustrating to Hurns is that no matter what precautions he takes, the allergy symptoms are random.
“Sometimes I break out. Sometimes I don’t. At times it gets pretty aggravating, but for the most part it’s been holding up good.”
Thank goodness for Benadryl. Although, the typical symptom following a dose of Benadryl is the uncontrollable sleepiness it can induce.
Hurns is one of the reported 50 million persons in the United States who suffer from allergies.
Fortunately, Hurns hasn’t let this shortcoming get in the way of his success. The Jaguars recently locked up their No. 2 receiver with a four-year, $40 million extension after his breakout 2015 season (no pun intended).