Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame offensive lineman Larry Allen died suddenly on Sunday while vacationing with his family in Mexico, team officials announced Monday. He was 52.
“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 shared on social media.
“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.”
No cause of death was immediately shared.
Allen rose to become one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the NFL after he was chosen as a second-round pick out of Sonoma State in 1994, ESPN reported. He played 12 years for the Cowboys, from 1994 until 2005, before spending his last two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, according to the sports network and NFL.com.
Over the course of his career, Allen was named a First-team All-Pro seven times, earned 11 Pro Bowl nods and, in 1995, became a Super Bowl champion with the Cowboys, Sports Illustrated and ESPN reported.
He was known for his feats of strength, with the Cowboys noting his “career-best bench press of 700 pounds and a squat lift of 900 pounds” to say that he is “considered to be the strongest man to ever play professional football.”
In 2011, Allen was inducted into the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor. Two years later, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“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 Cowboys said Monday. “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.”