Around The NFL Writer
A legendary offensive lineman has passed.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Allen died suddenly Sunday at the age of 52 while on vacation in Mexico with his family, the Dallas Cowboys announced on Monday.
Allen’s career resume is loaded with accolades. Eleven Pro Bowls. Six All-Pro selections. A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s all-decade teams for the 1990s and the 2000s. And finally, a first-ballot selection for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (2013).
“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 in a statement on 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.
“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.”
Allen was one of the most freakish athletes to play offensive line in the history of football. At 6-foot-3 and 335 pounds, most logical thinkers would expect him to be a lumbering load of a blocker whose greatest assets were his size and strength, and not much else.
That couldn’t be further from the truth for Allen, who matched his Herculean strength with incredible swiftness. Simply, Allen could get out and run, executing short and long pulls with precision and frightening power to clear lanes for Cowboys runners, including fellow Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith. Allen’s rare blend of physical skills turned the typically mundane nature of offensive line play into a thrilling viewing experience, so much that folks still queue Allen’s highlight tape just to bask in the beauty of it.
John Madden gushing about a Larry Allen pancake block. The soundtrack of ’90s #Cowboys football on @NFLonFOX, even if you were rooting for the pancakee. RIP Larry Allen. pic.twitter.com/ibmZxzEl9x
Allen did his job at a premier level at both guard and tackle, proving himself as an ironman regardless of on-field location. For 14 years, Allen stonewalled the league’s best defensive linemen in pass protection, and struck fear in the hearts of those unfortunate enough to find themselves on his tracks.
Allen racked up six straight first-team All-Pro selections from 1996-2001, and earned one of those honors after moving from the interior to the outside, serving as Troy Aikman’s blindside protector at left tackle in 1998.
Allen entered another elite group as one of only three Cowboys to crack double digits in Pro Bowl selections. He finished his career in San Francisco, starting in 27 of a possible 32 games for the 49ers, and picking up one more Pro Bowl nod before calling it a career.
“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,” Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement. “What he could do as an offensive lineman often defied logic and comprehension. In a six-season span, he was named All-Pro every year, and one of those seasons came when the Cowboys needed him to step in at tackle. He could literally beat the will out of his opponents, with many quitting midgame or not dressing at all rather than face him, but that was only on the field. Off it, he was a quiet, gentle giant. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Janelle; daughters, Jayla and Loriana; and son, Larry III.”
As menacing and ruthlessly effective as Allen was on the field, he was just as beloved by those who knew him best off it. Aikman took to social media Monday to express his sorrow upon learning of the loss of his former teammate.
“Just received the heartbreaking news of the passing of our beloved teammate Larry Allen,” Aikman wrote. “He was a HOF offensive lineman that dominated opponents regardless of the position played. Off the field, he was a gentle giant that loved his family. Rest in Peace LA.”
Tight end Logan Thomas is finalizing a deal with the San Francisco 49ers, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported Monday afternoon.
NFL.com keeps you up to date with all of the latest league news from around the NFL. Visit NFL.com’s transaction hub for a daily breakdown.
Former tight end Dallas Clark, a key cog in Indy’s offense for nine seasons, will be inducted into the Colts Ring of Honor during the 2024 season, team owner and CEO Jim Irsay announced on Monday.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is eligible to sign a long-term extension this offseason, although no new deal has been struck yet. To this point, however, Lawrence isn’t panicking that nothing has been officially done yet. He said on Monday that he believes something will get done in time.
After authoring an impressive rookie campaign, Texans safety Jalen Pitre took a step back in Year 2. Entering his second season under DeMeco Ryans, the safety is ready to get back on track.
The Vikings are signing star wide receiver Justin Jefferson to a four-year contract extension that’s worth up to $140 million and includes $110 million guaranteed, per NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.
The Bengals plan to replace Joe Mixon’s production with a combination of veteran Zack Moss and second-year speedster Chase Brown in a thunder-and-lightening approach.
Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid expects to see ‘a couple more targets’ this year after turnover in the club’s wide receiver room. After a solid rookie season, the Year 2 TE could see more action in 2024.
Speaking this last week, Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears said that in his mind, the goal is for both him and teammate Tony Pollard to finish “in top-5 rushing, top-5 best backs this year” despite expecting to split snaps.
Lions assistant head coach and running backs coach Scottie Montgomery believes second-year RB Jahmyr Gibbs has the potential to make strides as a receiver in 2024, which would easily maintain the offensive prowess in Detroit.
Wide receiver John Ross went from a top-10 overall pick to briefly retired, and then to a player requiring a rookie minicamp tryout just for a foot back in the door. Now on the Eagles’ roster, the 28-year-old burner still has work to do to stay beyond training camp.
© 2024 NFL Enterprises LLC. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League. The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. NFL footage © NFL Productions LLC.
