Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame Inductee Larry Allen shows off his Hall of Fame ring at halftime of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tim Sharp)
NFL Hall of Fame star Larry Allen has passed away at age 52. Fans online have been mourning his sudden death by reflecting on his 12-year career in the professional league.
According to the Associated Press, Allen was “one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the NFL,” most notably as a Dallas Cowboys player.
The team revealed that Larry Allen died suddenly on Sunday (June 2) during a family vacation in Mexico.
“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 Dallas Cowboys said in their statement on Monday (June 3). “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.”
Larry leaves behind his wife, Janelle, and three children, including his two daughters, Jayla and Loriana, and son, Larry III.
His cause of death remains unknown at this time.
See the Cowboys’ full statement on Larry’s passing below.
AP reports that Allen was a man of few words but that his blocking game throughout his career was strong!
“[Larry] never said nothin’,” Nate Newton, one of Allen’s mentors on Dallas’ offensive line, previously said for an AP story 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.”
The Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted him as a six-time All-Pro in 2013. He retired in 2009 but got his start with the Dallas Cowboys in 1994 after they drafted him in the second round.
The Cowboys were coming off consecutive Super Bowl wins when they drafted Allen. He was surrounded by Pro Bowl offensive linemen but didn’t take long to get noticed, eventually making 11 Pro Bowls himself.
Most of the rest of his career was defined by power — first as a tackle, where the Cowboys figured he would be a mainstay, and ultimately as a guard.
Fun fact about Allen: once, he reportedly bench-pressed 700 pounds as his teammates watched in amazement.
Allen spent his final two seasons in the NFL closer to home with the San Francisco 49ers. Then, true to his personality as a player, Allen retired to a quiet life in Northern California with his wife and three kids.
Rest In Power, Larry!
Associated Press reporter Schuyler Dixon contributed to this report.
