Getty Image / Sporting News
On Sunday, the NFL lost one of its greatest players ever, as Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame guard Larry Allen passed away on vacation in Mexico. He was 52 years old.
Allen was one of the best athletes in NFL history and arguably was the strongest player ever. He was a huge reason why Emmitt Smith is the NFL’s all-time leading rusher.
Larry Allen made eleven Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro selection every year from 1996-2001. And, he was one of the legendary coach and broadcaster John Madden’s favorite players.
Madden always loved to highlight the “big uglies” in the trenches, and Larry Allen was one of the guys he loved to highlight. A clip of the guard paving huge holes and dominating the Detroit Lions on a single drive while John Madden went nuts went viral on Monday after news broke of his death.
Larry Allen is #73, playing left guard. Take a look.
https://twitter.com/geoffschwartz/status/1797660628834009399
That is absolutely dominant offensive line play. There’s no way someone that big and strong should be able to move that well with that much balance and coordination. Simply put, Larry Allen was a freak, and the late John Madden knew it.
How big of a freak was he? In 2006 as a 34-year-old, Allen put up 43 reps at 225lbs on the bench press at the Pro Bowl. After years of wear-and-tear from the NFL, he was still putting up a number that made him the league’s strongest player.
Thoughts go out to all who knew and loved Larry Allen, one of the best offensive linemen in NFL history.