RIP Larry Allen

[HappyCurmudgeon]

Just 52 years old.

Truly one of the greats at the position.

Cowboys Hall of Famer Allen dies suddenly at 52

 

[swingline]

CTE?

I mean, that’s what I think of every time a football player dies young.

RIP.

 

[Small Town Guy]

Erik Williams was on his way to becoming one of the all-time greats when he had his car accident in '94. I remember Allen as a rookie emerging that year, battling injuries in the playoffs where he could hardly move and then ultimately becoming one of the best ever himself. Always loved the stories from other players about his ludicrous strength, and of course his most famous highlight isn't even a block but is instead him chasing down a Saints defender after an INT.

 

[El Guapo]

Erik Williams was on his way to becoming one of the all-time greats when he had his car accident in '94. I remember Allen as a rookie emerging that year, battling injuries in the playoffs where he could hardly move and then ultimately becoming one of the best ever himself. Always loved the stories from other players about his ludicrous strength, and of course his most famous highlight isn't even a block but is instead him chasing down a Saints defender after an INT.

 

[qtlaw]

Even as a 49er fan, I admired his greatness. And he was from a local D2 program , Cal State Sonoma State.

 

[Tighthead]

Erik Williams was on his way to becoming one of the all-time greats when he had his car accident in '94. I remember Allen as a rookie emerging that year, battling injuries in the playoffs where he could hardly move and then ultimately becoming one of the best ever himself. Always loved the stories from other players about his ludicrous strength, and of course his most famous highlight isn't even a block but is instead him chasing down a Saints defender after an INT.

He struggled in that famous NFC Championship loss replacing Williams, but the next year he started putting it together. One of my all time favourite Cowboys.

Williams was possibly the meanest OL I’ve ever watched. Used to drive Reggie White crazy. Was not close to the same after the wreck.

 

[Slacker]

For Allen, 11 Pro Bowls in 14 seasons, and seven times All-Pro.
And he played every offensive snap of every game in at least one season.

You can't get much better than that.

 

[rubenmateo]

I felt like Nate Newton and (for a time) Erik Williams got more attention, but Allen goes down as the best from that line, which may be the greatest line in history and was in front of the all-time leading rusher. Allen also started at LT, RT, LG and RG during his career. If there's an all-time All-Pro team, I think Allen is in the starting lineup.

 

[HappyCurmudgeon]

I thought of Larry Allen as the the line of demarcation between the old-school offensive lineman and what would be the the modern day offensive lineman. Those guys from the 60s, 70s, 80s and into the 90s were these extremely tough men that generally had freakish raw strength that really couldn't be judged by bench pressing. They had the strength to move human weight that was uneven and fought back that either came genetically or threw real labor and determination. Allen had both that sort of old "grown man" or "country-style" strength AND he was ridiculously strong in the weight room that we judge modern-day strength by. I think he benched over 680 pounds or something like that, which is mind boggling.

Top 5 OL of all trime I'd say and top five guy I'd want having my back if I had to walk down a dark alley in the wrong part of town.

 

[HanSenSE]

Even as a 49er fan, I admired his greatness. And he was from a local D2 program , Cal State Sonoma State.

And before that, two years at Butte College. The juco/small school route works.

 

[qtlaw]

I thought of Larry Allen as the the line of demarcation between the old-school offensive lineman and what would be the the modern day offensive lineman. Those guys from the 60s, 70s, 80s and into the 90s were these extremely tough men that generally had freakish raw strength that really couldn't be judged by bench pressing. They had the strength to move human weight that was uneven and fought back that either came genetically or threw real labor and determination. Allen had both that sort of old "grown man" or "country-style" strength AND he was ridiculously strong in the weight room that we judge modern-day strength by. I think he benched over 680 pounds or something like that, which is mind boggling.

Top 5 OL of all trime I'd say and top five guy I'd want having my back if I had to walk down a dark alley in the wrong part of town.

I thought that legal "holding" was a recent thing and that it was frustrating because in the old days there was actual blocking.

Then I had the opportunity to be in a suite at Levis (49ers) Stadium and Jesse Sappolu, the 49er great G from the 80's walked in so I got about 30 mins of his time and he explained that the legal "holding" has been around since his time. He showed me how to be disciplined about it.

Lesson learned.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

Age is never kind to massive people like him. Phil Jackson, who is 6-8, said so much about his own health issues.

I didn't realize Allen was already 52.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Age is never kind to massive people like him. Phil Jackson, who is 6-8, said so much about his own health issues.

I didn't realize Allen was already 52.

I was thinking the same thing. Probably less likely CTE than just the wear and tear of being such a big man, even if he was able to take care of himself and shed weight in retirement (I don't know if he did one way or the other). RIP.

 

[HappyCurmudgeon]

He wasn't massive though, at least not in height. I don't think Larry Allen was legitimate 6-foot-3. Now I don't know his weight situation. Many linemen tend to either drop a lot of weight post-playing because they don't need to eat as much to maintain or gain a lot ot weight post playing because they continue to eat the same amount without the incredibly strenuous physical work they did as a football player. Not sure which way he went.

 

[Brooklyn Bridge]

I hate Dallas as much as the next guy, but have to give Allen his due. When John Madden sings your praises for two straight minutes, that's saying something.

 

[HappyCurmudgeon]

I hate Dallas as much as the next guy, but have to give Allen his due. When John Madden sings your praises for two straight minutes, that's saying something.

And that isn't just any DE, it was Cornelius Bennett, a 1990s All-Decade honoree, two-time AFC DPOY and Hall of "Very Damn Good" player.

 

[DanOregon]

Couldn't play D1 because he didn't graduate high school, a year at Butte JC then two years at Sonoma State, a DII school. I don't know how many DII players are HoFers, but I'm sure they could fit in a room - until Allen walks in.

 

[playthrough]

I thought of Larry Allen as the the line of demarcation between the old-school offensive lineman and what would be the the modern day offensive lineman. Those guys from the 60s, 70s, 80s and into the 90s were these extremely tough men that generally had freakish raw strength that really couldn't be judged by bench pressing. They had the strength to move human weight that was uneven and fought back that either came genetically or threw real labor and determination. Allen had both that sort of old "grown man" or "country-style" strength AND he was ridiculously strong in the weight room that we judge modern-day strength by. I think he benched over 680 pounds or something like that, which is mind boggling.

Top 5 OL of all trime I'd say and top five guy I'd want having my back if I had to walk down a dark alley in the wrong part of town.

I read 700 pounds in one obit. Holy smokes.

 

[Jesus_Muscatel]

I felt like Nate Newton and (for a time) Erik Williams got more attention, but Allen goes down as the best from that line, which may be the greatest line in history and was in front of the all-time leading rusher. Allen also started at LT, RT, LG and RG during his career. If there's an all-time All-Pro team, I think Allen is in the starting lineup.

Well, Nate did give us plenty of weed, and the quote of the decade, after the Eagles racked up nine or 10 sacks against Dallas.

"It was like Pearl Harbor out there ..."

 

[Jesus_Muscatel]

I read 700 pounds in one obit. Holy smokes.

Sad.