Larry Allen, a dominant offensive lineman in the NFL with a 12-year career primarily with the Dallas Cowboys, has passed away at 52.
Allen died suddenly on Sunday while vacationing with his family in Mexico, the Cowboys announced.
A six-time All-Pro who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013, Allen was known for his minimal words and powerful blocking.
“Larry, known for his great athleticism and incredible strength, was one of the most respected, accomplished offensive linemen to ever play in the NFL,” the Cowboys said Monday. “His versatility and dependability were also signature parts of his career. Through that, he continued to serve as inspiration for many other players, defining what it meant to be a great teammate, competitor and winner.”
Drafted in the second round by the Cowboys in 1994, Allen emerged from Sonoma State and quickly made an impact. He was surrounded by Pro Bowl offensive linemen and eventually earned 11 Pro Bowl selections himself. Notably, Allen once bench-pressed 700 pounds, astonishing his teammates.
Allen was a formidable presence on the field, so much so that even notorious trash-talker John Randle of the Minnesota Vikings chose to remain silent against him to avoid provoking him.
“He never said nothin’,” Nate Newton, one of Allen’s mentors on Dallas’ offensive line, told The Associated Press for its Hall of Fame story on Allen 11 years ago. “Every now and then you’d hear him utter a cuss word or hear him laugh that old funny laugh he had.”
Allen entered the Hall of Fame about a year after his mother passed away, acknowledging that her presence would have helped him through the induction speech after a career spent avoiding the spotlight.
“I miss her,” Allen said before his Hall of Fame induction. “Whenever I’d get nervous or had a big game and got nervous, I’d give her a call, and she’d start making me laugh.”
The Cowboys were coming off consecutive Super Bowl wins when they drafted Allen. Late in his rookie season, Allen saved a touchdown by running down Darion Conner when it seemed like the New Orleans linebacker only had Troy Aikman to beat down the sideline. Allen’s career was largely defined by his power, initially as a tackle and ultimately as a guard.
“The National Football League is filled with gifted athletes, but only a rare few have combined the size, brute strength, speed and agility of Larry Allen,” the Hall of Fame said in a statement. “What he could do as an offensive lineman often defied logic and comprehension.”
Allen spent his final two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers before retiring to a quiet life in Northern California with his wife and three children.
“He was deeply loved and cared for by his wife, Janelle — whom he referred to as his heart and soul — his daughters Jayla and Loriana and son, Larry III,” the Cowboys said.
Allen’s football journey began at Butte College before transferring to Sonoma State, a Division II school, due to academic challenges. His coach at Sonoma State, Frank Scalercio, first noticed Allen at Butte College.
“I kinda forgot about the guy I was actually recruiting,” Scalercio said.
In retirement, Allen was a familiar presence at Sonoma State basketball games, where he signed autographs and posed for pictures.
“He’s even bigger now than he ever was on campus,” Tim Burrell, a friend of Allen’s, said in 2013. “Everybody loves him.”
