[ul]A second-round pick from Sonoma State in 1994, Allen started at right tackle as a rookie.[/ul]
[ul]He benched over 700 pounds. Almost makes me embarrassed now for Randy White, the Manster, remembering when game announcers used to marvel at his 500.[/ul]
[ul]Allen was All-Pro eight times, from 1995-2001 and again in '03 after recovering from injury and was a guard on the NFL’s all-decade team for the 1990s.[/ul]
[ul]He was voted to the Pro Bowl in 10 of his 12 seasons in Dallas, the most by any offensive player in team history and second only to defensive tackle Bob Lilly’s 11 trips. He was chosen at both guard and tackle, joining guard-tackle Chris Hinton and center-guard Bruce Matthews as the only offensive linemen ever picked at multiple spots.[/ul]
Perhaps no one owes as much gratitude to Allen as one all-time rushing leader, Emmit Smith, who gained a sizeable chunk of that yardage behind the agile and dominant Allen.
Larry Allen always struck me as someone that was widely admired by fans regardless of their team affiliation. Kinda hard to hate him since he’s not actually racking points up on you, he kept his nose clean and he was just so overwhelmingly dominant for the better part of his career. Unusual for a guy in the trenches like that getting pounded year in and year out to have such a long, prosperous run.
End of a truly admirable career and, for some of us, an era. Larry, many many thanks. You were indeed a real pleasure to watch.
I think the Boys want to re sign him, but they didn’t want the cap hit of 7 mil. They are taking a gamble in the hopes that nobody will take him because he is 34.
I hope the Vikings pick him up for a steal! Sure, he’s old, but good O-linemen can keep going and going. They only had about 8.5 million in room before signing the Biggest-Mistake-They-Will-Ever-Make[sup]TM[/sup] They had to make some room.
now that we’re on the topic…
what’s more important in an offensive line?
having a bunch of good parts for a year or two or a group that’s played together for 5 or so years?
i’d think you’d want the group working together. it seems like the upper echelon of offensive lines have all played with each other for a period of time (and had the same offensive coordinator)
I remember a Monday night game where a D-back (might have been a linebacker) who has picked up a fumble or interception and Larry Allen ran him down. He had an angle on him, of course, but the burst he showed was remarkable.
It wasn’t the only time you saw it, either. When he pulled, there was no one quicker. A devastating lineman.
In other matters. . .to single out Emmitt from the rest of the greats as a guy who owes it to his O-line is ridiculous. Every great running back makes his O-line look great and vice-versa. Emmitt doesn’t owe any more to his O-line than Walter Payton does to his.
From two yards out, or two to go on 4th down, there’s not another RB in the history of football I’d give the ball to in front of Emmitt.
Sorry Frank. I saw the NFL Commissioner thread and figured there was appropriate.
I too wouldn’t be surprised to see someone pick him up but how does that work? Are the salary contracts he had with Dallas still in play or will negotiations start from scratch? Does Dallas have to wait for a period of time or can they renegotiate immediately?
Heh, I guess we do kinda owe (Hershel Walker) Minnesota…
Barry Sanders doesn’t owe jack shit to his offensive line. It was all Barry. And I don’t know how much Bears football you saw in the 80s, but the line in front of Sweetness for the majority of his career wasn’t exactly chock full of probowlers. So I would say that Emmitt does owe more to his line than Payton did to his.
From two yards out I’d take Emmitt third, behind Walter Payton and Jim Brown.
Emmitt was no slouch, but to say he could have done as well without his line is silly.
Jimmy Johnson was the first coach to realize that big/mobile was the way to go. The Cowboys were the first team with an O-line with an average weight of >300lbs. After 3 superbowls, now most every team has it that way.
Hopefully Allen will remain a Cowboy, and hang up his spurs with them and join the Ring of Honor.
