By Saad Yousuf, Matt Barrows and Alex Andrejev
Larry Allen, a Pro Football Hall of Famer whose inimitable strength and athleticism made him one of the greatest offensive linemen in NFL history, died Sunday at the age of 52, the Dallas Cowboys, his longtime former team, said.
Allen died while on vacation with his family in Mexico, the team said. It did not give a cause of death.
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A member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1990s and 2000s, Allen’s illustrious career spanned from 1994 through 2007, including 12 seasons with the Cowboys and two with the San Francisco 49ers. Known for his legendary strength — Allen famously bench-pressed 700 pounds in the Dallas weight room — he was a cornerstone of the Cowboys’ most recent Super Bowl-winning team in 1995. After his final two seasons in the NFL with the 49ers, Allen signed a one-day contract to retire a Cowboy in 2009.
With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Cowboys Legend Larry Allen 💙 pic.twitter.com/l351PCkqdG
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) June 3, 2024
“His versatility and dependability were also signature parts of his career,” the Cowboys said in a statement Monday. “Through that, he continued to serve as inspiration for many other players, defining what it meant to be a great teammate, competitor and winner.
“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 Jones family and the Cowboys extend their deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers to the Allen family and grieve along with the many other friends and Cowboys teammates that also loved Larry.”
When it comes to the honors, Allen checked every box. He joined the Cowboys in 1994 in the second round, adding to a team that had just won back-to-back Super Bowls. As a rookie, he jumped into the starting lineup for Mark Tuinei at left tackle. Later in his rookie season, Allen was inserted into the starting lineup at right tackle and thrived there, too.
In a late-season game against the New Orleans Saints, Allen made one of the most spectacular plays in NFL history when, as a 325-pound offensive lineman, he chased down Saints linebacker Darion Conner after Conner intercepted Troy Aikman and attempted to return it for a touchdown. Allen tackled Conner to prevent the pick-six.
“This guy’s got a rocket booster strapped to his back,” Dan Dierdorf exclaimed on the broadcast.
A 325-pound lineman making a chase-down tackle to prevent a pick-six?
Happy birthday to one of the best athletes in NFL history, @larryallen73!@dallascowboys @ProFootballHOF @NFLLegends pic.twitter.com/DwAEDqTInP
— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) November 28, 2018
For many players, Allen’s stellar play on the offensive line in 1994 and the rundown tackle of Conner would serve as their best year in the NFL. Although Allen did make the All-Rookie team, the accolades were just beginning.
Although he started his NFL career playing left and right tackle, he became a Hall of Famer at left guard, perhaps the greatest left guard in NFL history. Allen, in his second NFL season and first at guard, helped the Cowboys win the Super Bowl in 1995. He went on to earn seven consecutive first-team All-Pro selections from 1995 to 2001 and 11 Pro Bowls, from 1995 to 2001 and then again from 2003 to 2006.
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His final Pro Bowl in 2006 came as a 49er. In his first year with the team, he anchored the front that paved the way for running back Frank Gore’s franchise-record 1,695 rushing yards. He brought his signature toughness with him to San Francisco, too.
In 2007, 49ers second-year tight end Vernon Davis often fought in practice — and he usually won. But not during an intrasquad scrimmage that year in which Allen, his own offensive teammate, got upset with him for jumping offsides. The two had to be pulled apart — by half a dozen players each — with Davis thankful that he came away with his head still attached to his shoulders.
“He used to walk into our team meeting room looking for anybody who was in his seat,” Davis wrote in his memoir. “As soon as they saw Larry coming, they would get up and move. He used to come into the team meetings wearing a basketball jersey while showing off those python arms of his. It seemed to me like he was doing all that on purpose.”
Davis said the two men reconciled following their scrape.
“Larry was a mentor and someone I was able to cultivate a great relationship with,” Davis wrote in a text Monday. “He was a wonderful person and someone I’ll always remember.”
Allen was inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2011. His standout career was topped off by entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013 on his first ballot.
During his Hall of Fame enshrinement speech, Allen spoke about a game in which he said he was “dominated” by legendary defensive end Reggie White. Allen said it spurred him to improve the strength he was known for.
“I got in that weight room and became the strongest man in the NFL. I did it naturally,” he said laughing. “What’s funny is once I benched 700 pounds, they tested me twice a week for the rest of my career.
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“My goal was simple: to earn a seven-letter word called respect,” he said. “The respect of my teammates, opponents, and the NFL. Today, my mission is complete. I also played hard, whistle to whistle, to make my opponents submit.”
Born in Los Angeles, Allen attended four high schools before beginning his college football career at Butte College, a junior college in Oroville that later served as a springboard for NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Allen earned All-State honors in 1989 and 1990 before transferring to Sonoma State, a Division II program in northern California.
He played at Sonoma State from 1992 to 1993, becoming a two-time All-American before joining the Cowboys via the draft in 1994.
Nearly 20 years after his retirement, Allen’s career is still the stuff of legend. Last week, at Dallas’ organized team activities, star left guard Tyler Smith was asked what he knew about Allen.
“Bro, just a dawg, you know?” Smith said. “I’ve seen the tape. Obviously, extremely athletic, famous for the chase-down (tackle) against the Saints.
“One of the best pulling guards to ever play in the NFL. Not many people doing people like that anymore.”
GO DEEPERNFL 100: At No. 45, Larry Allen lives in mythological lore, but he was real and spectacular(Photo: Tony Gutierrez / AP)
