Dallas Cowboys announce the death of Ring of Honor member Larry Allen

The Dallas Cowboys announced the passing of Super Bowl Champion and Ring of Honor member Larry Allen on Monday. Allen passed away on Sunday unexpectedly at the age of 52.

Allen played twelve seasons with the Cowboys, earning 10 Pro Bowl selections and seven first-team All-Pro honors. His ten Pro Bowl selections are the most all-time for a Cowboys offensive player. He helped the team win Super Bowl XXX over the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1996.

Though he was a Cowboys legend, he also played two seasons for the San Francisco 49ers. He earned another Pro Bowl selection while in San Francisco. He earned his Hall of Fame induction and entered Canton as part of the class of 2013.

Cowboys share tribute for Hall-of-Famer Larry Allen

“The Dallas Cowboys are very saddened to share that Cowboys legend, Super Bowl Champion, Cowboys Ring of Honor member, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Allen passed away suddenly while on vacation in Mexico with his family on Sunday,” the team shared.

“Larry, known for his great athleticism and incredible strength, was one of the most respected, accomplished offensive linemen to ever play in the NFL. 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 Lariana and son, Larry Ill. 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, a Compton, California native, played his college football first for the Butte Roadrunners, then the Sonoma State Cossacks. Though he didn’t play Division-I football, he gained the attention of scouts at the East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl. The Dallas Cowboys opted to take him with the 46th overall pick in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He was the highest-selected offensive lineman the Cowboys had ever taken at the time, though they went on to draft several more in the first round after finding success.

Allen earned All-Rookie honors in his first season after an injury knocked out one of Dallas’s starting linemen. He made his first NFL start at right guard the next season. He later moved between guard and tackle and eventually became Troy Aikman’s blindside protector at left tackle.