The football community mourns the death of Larry Allen, who passed away on June 2 on vacation in Mexico. The news was announced a day later by the Dallas Cowboys, the NFL club with which Allen spent the majority of his career.
At the time of death, Allen was 52 years old and was vacationing in Mexico with his family. He cemented himself in history as one of the greatest players in NFL history, arguably as the greatest offensive lineman in the game.
What was the cause of Larry Allen’s death?
At the time of writing, Larry Allen’s cause of death remains unknown. Dallas Cowboys nor his family have detailed the circumstances that led to the sudden passing of the NFL icon. Although the Cowboys’ June 3 statement pointed out “memorial service arrangements and details will be announced in the near future,” so more about his passing will likely be revealed at one point.
What did Larry Allen’s career look like?
Larry Allen was selected in the second round of the 1994 NFL draft by Dallas Cowboys. Prior to that, he played college football for the Butte Roadrunners and the Sonoma State Cossacks. Fans around the world quickly started admiring the player’s size and strength. However, like the club’s statement underlines, “it was another trait – speed – that probably got him on the NFL map early on.”
Allen quickly made a name for himself in the NFL world. His offensive prowess allowed him to be chosen as a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1990s and 2000s. He is widely recognized as one of the best offensive linemen in the history of the sport, and simultaneously as one of the strongest players.
“For the most part, it was Allen’s strength that stood out the most. Known for bench-pressing over 700 pounds during an offseason in the early 2000s, Allen dominated his opponents by his brute strength,” Cowboys’ statement reads.
The late players spent 14 years in professional football, representing Dallas Cowboys from 1994 to 2005. In 2006, he transferred to the San Francisco 49ers, with whom he competed for one year. Due to unprecedented love and respect for the Texan club, he signed a one-day contract on Aug. 29, 2009, so that he could retire as a Cowboy.
During these 14 years, Allen was named to the Pro Bowl 11 times, including his last competitive season in the San Francisco 49ers. He was also named an All-Pro seven times in his career from 1995 to 2001. To further cement his incredible prowess in the game, in 2019 he was chosen as one of the seven guards in NFL’s Top 100 players list.