Football Hall of Famer Larry Allen has died, the Dallas Cowboys announced Monday.
Allen, 52, died suddenly while on vacation in Mexico, according to the team.
“Known for his tremendous athleticism and incredible strength, Larry was one of the most respected and accomplished offensive linemen to ever play in the NFL,” the team said in a statement. “His versatility and dependability were also distinctive parts of his career. Through that, he continued to serve as an inspiration to many other players who defined 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 his son, Larry III.
“The Jones family and the Cowboys extend their deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers to the Allen family and mourn along with many other friends and Cowboys teammates who also loved Larry.
“Memorial service arrangements and details will be announced in the near future.”
Larry Allen, veteran offensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys, died while vacationing with his family in Mexico. He was 52 years old. (Ron Jenkins/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via /Keynote USA/Getty Images)
Allen, who played 12 of his 14 NFL seasons with the Cowboys, was one of the best offensive linemen in league history. He was named first-team NFL All-Pro seven times and was an 11-time Pro Bowler at guard and tackle. He helped the Cowboys win Super Bowl XXX in 1996.
Larry Allen was one of the most incredible athletes the NFL has ever seen.
Perhaps the most dominant run blocker of all time, but also legitimately incredible speed.
Here he was making a chase out of nowhere pic.twitter.com/vTSPLXrlrm
– Campo Yates (@FieldYates) June 3, 2024
His dominance at both positions earned Allen, a second-round Draft pick out of Sonoma State in 1994, a spot on the NFL’s All-Decade team in the 1990s and 2000s.
After spending his final two seasons in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers, Allen signed a one-day contract to retire with the Cowboys in 2009. Four years later, Allen headed to Canton, Ohio, as a member of the Hall of Fame. Fame in the first vote.
Allen’s former Cowboys teammates reacted to the sudden news on social media.
“I just received the heartbreaking news of the passing of our beloved teammate Larry Allen,” veteran Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman said on X Monday. “He was a HOF offensive lineman who dominated his opponents no matter the position played. Off the field, he was a gentle giant who loved his family. Rest in peace, Los Angeles.”
Emmitt Smith said in a video posted to Instagram that he was “speechless right now” and that Allen was “a good guy, a great player and a super person.”
“The one thing Larry Allen has, I know,” Smith added. “He had a big heart and lived life to the fullest. A man of very few words, but on the football field he was a beast. And he will be deeply missed.”
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