Larry Allen: From Sonoma State to NFL Legend

Larry Allen, who suddenly passed away on Sunday, June 2, 2024, while vacationing with his family in Mexico at the age of 52, was one of the most dominant offensive linemen in NFL history. Allen's journey to the Pro Football Hall of Fame began inauspiciously, overcoming a difficult childhood to become a standout player at the Division II level before reaching the pinnacle of professional football.

Early Life and High School Years

Larry Christopher Allen Jr. was born on November 27, 1971. Allen grew up in Compton, California, and had a troubled childhood, including contracting meningitis and almost dying at six weeks old, as well as being stabbed 12 times in the head, shoulder, and neck by a young neighbor while trying to protect his brother at the age of 10. His early life in Los Angeles was marked by instability, attending four different high schools. As a freshman at Centennial High School in Compton, Allen lettered in football. For his sophomore year, he attended Tokay High School in Lodi.

Butte College

Allen was not academically eligible to play NCAA Division I football, so he attended Butte College in Oroville, California. He spent two years at Butte College, where he excelled on the football field. In each of his two years at Butte, the team went 10-1 while winning the Golden Valley Conference, and Allen was named to the All-Conference and All-State teams both seasons. Allen was also recognized as a J.C. All-American after his sophomore year.

Sonoma State University

After a year away from school, he enrolled at Sonoma State University, a Division II school north of San Francisco. Allen's path to the NFL took an unconventional turn when he landed at Sonoma State University. Then an assistant for Sonoma, Scalercio was recruiting another player when he saw Allen throw an opponent to the ground for the first time. Allen ended up at tiny Sonoma, a Division II school, because his academic progress wasn’t fast enough to get him to Division I, where he probably belonged.

During the two seasons Allen played for Sonoma State (1992-93) he was twice named All-American and was named the Northern California Athletic Conference (NCAC) Offensive Player of the Year in 1993. He played on the team for two seasons (1992 and 1993) and absolutely dominated and paralyzed his opponents. The best athlete to ever come out of SSU, Allen twice earned Kodak All-America and First Team Associated Press All-America honors and was an unanimous selection on several other All-America squads. He was so dominating that Allen was named the Northern California Athletic Conference (NCAC) Offensive Player of the Year as a lineman, unheard of for a player that didn't play quarterback, running back or wide receiver.

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In two years with the Cossacks, Allen gave up just one sack and was a two-time All-American. He was named the Northern California Athletic Conference (NCAC) Offensive Player of the Year in 1993, a rare honor for a lineman. The Cossacks were primarily a passing team and established 10 new school records, including most yards gained, most touchdown passes, best gain-per-completion rate and highest passing efficiency. During Allen's senior season, the team set a school mark with 334 rushing yards against the Cal State Hayward Pioneers. True stories have emerged about Allen's playing days at Sonoma State, including several occasions that he sent a couple of defenders flying into the air (some near unconsciousness), breaking some of their bones and/or tearing their ligaments as a result.

Allen credited his coach at Sonoma State, Frank Scalercio for helping him develop his talents. When asked about playing for a DII team versus Division 1, Allen said, “It was a great opportunity for me to showcase my talents. I had a great head coach (Scalercio) my senior season, who also coached the offensive line. Leading up to his success in NFL, Allen said that "I had a great head coach (Scalercio) my senior season, who also coached the offensive line. As for playing on a college team at the Division II level, as opposed to playing for a recognized Division I program, Allen said that "it was a great opportunity for me to showcase my talents and Sonoma State had a great atmosphere for me to do that.

NFL Career with the Dallas Cowboys

Allen's exceptional college performance caught the attention of NFL scouts, and he was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft. Allen's stock dropped in the 1994 NFL draft because of his small-school background and a rotator cuff injury. Allen was the tenth offensive lineman selected in the draft and the first player ever chosen from Sonoma State. The Cowboys were coming off consecutive Super Bowl wins when they drafted Allen. He was surrounded by Pro Bowl offensive linemen but didn’t take long to get noticed, eventually making 11 Pro Bowls himself.

1994 Season

In 1994, Allen started 10 regular-season games rotating between guard and tackle. During the season, he tied Burton Lawless in 1975 and Kevin Gogan in 1987, for the most starts on the offensive line as a rookie in club history at the time; Flozell Adams broke the record in 1998. Allen was forced into a starting spot just four games into his rookie season when Mark Tuinei suffered back spasms on the road against the Washington Redskins. He received the game ball for helping keep the Redskins sackless for the game. He recorded his first NFL start at left tackle, replacing an injured Tuinei against the Arizona Cardinals. This marked the first time a rookie offensive lineman had started for Dallas since November 24, 1991, when Erik Williams started at right tackle against the Redskins. Allen returned to a back-up role for the next two weeks, but early in the morning on October 24, Williams was injured in an automobile accident and was out for the rest of the season, after which Allen was permanently moved into the starting lineup at Williams' right tackle position beginning with a game at Cincinnati on October 30. He received the game ball, along with Tuinei, for helping hold the New Orleans Saints without a sack in a Monday night win in New Orleans on December 19.

In that Monday night contest, the 325-lb. Allen shocked the Saints by running down linebacker Darion Conner from behind on an interception return early in the game, as Allen was beginning from a standing start at the moment of the interception. Late in his rookie season, Allen saved a touchdown by running down Darion Conner when it looked like the New Orleans linebacker only had Troy Aikman to beat down the sideline. The game's announcers (Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, and Dan Dierdorf) talked more about Allen's amazing feat than the actual interception. In his first playoffs, Allen received the game ball against the Green Bay Packers on January 8, when the Dallas offense recorded 450 total yards and Troy Aikman completed 23 of 30 passes for 337 yards. Allen sprained his left ankle during the game, but he returned to play. After a loss to the 49ers in the NFC championship game when Allen was a rookie, the Cowboys broke through the next year to become the first to win three Super Bowls in four seasons.

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1995 Season

In 1995, Allen, after just one year of experience as a starting guard, earned his first of seven consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl. He was one of a club record four Dallas offensive linemen named to the Pro Bowl, with Ray Donaldson, Nate Newton, and Mark Tuinei being the others. The team finished fifth in the league in total offense with Emmitt Smith gaining a franchise record 1,773 rushing yards, his fourth NFL rushing title in five years. Allen made his first NFL start at right guard in the season opener at the Meadowlands against the New York Giants on September 4, helping the Dallas offense record 459 yards, including 230 rushing yards. Allen was part of the team that won a Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXX over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

1996 Season

In 1996, Allen earned a second consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl, along with earning consensus All-Pro and All-NFC honors. The Dallas offensive line led the league by allowing just 19 sacks, one shy of the team record set the previous year.

1997 Season

In 1997, Allen, despite being moved between guard and tackle during the season, was selected to his third consecutive Pro Bowl at guard and earned first-team All-Pro honors. Allen started his third season at right guard and helped Dallas gain 380 total yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers, including 295 passing yards, while not allowing a sack. He left the September 15 win over the Philadelphia Eagles after suffering a strained left hamstring in the second quarter and did not return. Allen returned to the starting lineup following the bye week against the Chicago Bears on September 28, but was forced to leave in the second quarter with insufficient strength in his left leg to block effectively. He was back in the starting lineup the following week at the Giants, where he was forced to move to left tackle after the loss of Tuinei during a game at Washington on October 13. Allen remained at left tackle in third-down passing situations against the Eagles and Redskins on October 26 and November 16.

1998 Season

In 1998, Allen was slated to start at left tackle. In his first full season guarding Troy Aikman's blindside, he earned consensus All-Pro and All-NFC honors. Allen became just the third player in league history to be selected to the Pro Bowl at more than one offensive line position when peers voted him to NFC Pro Bowl team at tackle. He earned recognition as part of an offensive line that allowed just 19 sacks for 110 yards in 493 pass plays for a season, the fewest in the NFL. He debuted at his new position in the season opener against the Cardinals and helped Dallas gain 444 total yards (188 rushing); both totals were the team's highest since 1996. He helped lead the way as two running backs topped the 100-yard mark for just the third time in franchise history at Washington on October 4; Smith finishing with 120 yards and one touchdown while Chris Warren recorded 104 yards and two touchdowns. In November, he faced four of the NFC's top defensive ends in Hugh Douglas, Chad Bratzke, Simeon Rice, and John Randle. Allen's no-sacks-allowed streak started at Philadelphia on November 2, when he limited Douglas to one tackle and no sacks. The following week against the Giants and Bratzke, his blocking helped Emmitt Smith rush for 163 yards on 29 carries, a 5.6 average. The Dallas offensive line allowed no sacks to the Giants defense that led NFL in sacks in 1998. In Arizona, Allen limited Rice to one tackle and was part of an offensive line that allowed no sacks to the Cardinals defense as well. He led the way for Smith's 118 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The Seattle Seahawks had the AFC's top sacking defense of 1998 (11 sacks for 22 yards) and came away with just one sack (on an Aikman fumble), while the Cowboys ran for 173 yards. He also limited Randle to one tackle and no sacks in 81 offensive plays against the Minnesota Vikings on November 26. Allen helped set a franchise record for pass attempts in a game without a sack (57) and led the way as Smith rushed for three touchdowns to tie Marcus Allen's NFL record of 123 career rushing touchdowns.

1999 Season

Allen earned recognition as part of an offensive line that allowed the second-fewest sacks (24) in the league, behind Indianapolis who allowed just 14, and one or fewer sacks in nine of 16 games. He helped lead the way as the Cowboys gained 541 total yards while giving up only one sack in 50 pass plays in his first career start at left guard at Washington on September 12. He helped lead the way as Emmitt Smith became just the third player in the last 29 games to rush for over 100 yards against the Atlanta Falcons on September 20, when he rushed for 109 yards. Allen's blocking helped the Cowboys offensive line allow only one sack in 40 pass plays in Philadelphia on October 10. Allen gave up no sacks to the Redskins on 32 pass plays on October 24. His blocking helped Smith to rush for 140 yards and two touchdowns in the first half as the Dallas offense recorded 205 rushing yards in Minnesota on November 8. Allen helped the Cowboys running backs record 149 yards before leaving the game in the third quarter with a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee against the Packers on November 14. He missed his first career game in Arizona on November 21, snapping strings of 97 consecutive games played and 90 consecutive starts. He missed the next four games with a sprained knee. He returned to the starting lineup in New Orleans on Christmas Eve and helped the Cowboys offensive line give up no sacks on 39 pass plays while helping Smith to rush for his eighth 100-yard game of the season. In the season finale against the Giants on New Year's Day, he blocked for Smith as the latter recorded his ninth 100-yard game of the season. Allen was part of an offensive line that did not allow a sack in 33 pass plays during the game.

2000 Season

In 2000, Allen was selected to his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl and earned consensus All-Pro and All-NFC honors. He was part of an offensive line unit that allowed just 35 sacks in 480 pass plays on the season. Despite suffering a fractured right hand in practice on June 20, Allen returned to play by the end of the preseason and started all 16 games. His blocking helped limit the Cardinals to one sack while protecting Randall Cunningham as he completed 24-of-34 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns on September 10. His blocking against Arizona on October 22 was key to the offense as it recorded 347 total yards, including 200 rushing yards. He allowed just one sack. He helped limit Warren Sapp to two tackles for the game in Tampa Bay, on December 3, while the entire Tampa Bay starting defensive line was limited to six tackles. He was also part of an offensive line that helped Smith rush for 150 yards and a touchdown against the Washington Redskins and the NFL's fourth-ranked defense on December 10.

2001 Season

In 2001, Allen was named All-Pro by the Associated Press for the seventh consecutive season. He was also named a Pro Bowl starter at guard. However, he was unable to attend the game in Hawaii due to elbow surgery that was performed after the season ended. Allen played a key role in Dallas’ third rank in the league in rushing at 136.5 yards per game. The season rushing total of 2,184 yards was the second-best total by a Cowboys team in last 20 years (1995, 2,201). He helped limit All-Pro DT Sapp to one tackle and no sacks in the season opener against the Buccaneers, also helping the Cowboys offense rush for 99 yards on 23 carries, a 4.3 average. He led the way for Emmitt Smith to his first 100-yard rushing game of the season, 107 yards, and offense to 211 total rushing yards in the Cowboys Monday night win over the Redskins on October 15. He played a part in helping Troy Hambrick gain 127 rushing yards as well as Michael Wiley gain 85 en route to the Cowboys gaining 207 rushing yards (6.3 avg.) at Atlanta on November 11.

2002 Season

It is believed 2002 was the first time an NFL franchise had five African-American starters on their offensive line, when the Cowboys lined up rookie center Andre Gurode, tackles Flozell Adams and Solomon Page, guards Allen and Kelvin Garmon. Allen had a challenging season due to injuries. He played through off-season surgery and a nagging early-season ankle sprain that limited him to five starts on the season between left guard and right tackle. Due to his off-season rotator cuff surgery on his left shoulder, and was limited in training camp and played in just the final two preseason games. Allen sprained his left ankle in the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans on September 15. He attempted to return in the second half but lasted just two plays before returning to the sideline. He was inactive at Philadelphia on September 22, due to his ankle injury. He moved to right tackle during practice the week leading up to St. Louis Rams game on September 29, and opened the game at that position before re-aggravating his sprained left ankle. He then left the game in the first quarter. He returned to the starting lineup at right tackle against the New York Giants on October 6, but came out during first drive after aggravating left ankle. He fought the pain and was in and out of the game in the second half at left guard for Kelvin Garmon who suffered a hip injury. Following the trade of Garmon to the Chargers, Allen returned to left guard against the Panthers on October 13, but left the game in the second quarter with an ankle pain. He was then inactive next the three games to let the injury heal. He returned to practice the week against the Colts on November 17 but was inactive for a fourth straight game.

2003 Season

In 2003, Allen returned after missing most of the 2002 season with a sprained left ankle that required off-season surgery to remove bone spurs. He returned and started all 16 regular-season games and the playoff game at Carolina on January 3. He began the season by straining his hamstring during practice four days before the season opener. However, he still started against the Falcons, but aggravated his hamstring in the second quarter and sat out remainder of half before coming back for the second half as offense recorded 403 total yards. He played at the New York Giants on September 15, and helped protect Quincy Carter, allowing him to throw for 321 yards in leading Dallas to a come-from-behind overtime win. He suffered a sprained left knee in the second quarter against the Cardinals on October 5, but returned in the second half to help Dallas total 365 yards of offense. Despite playing sporadically against the Washington on November 2, due to a sprained left knee suffered in the first quarter, he helped the Cowboys record 400 yards of total.

San Francisco 49ers and Retirement

Allen spent his final two seasons closer to home with the San Francisco 49ers. Then, true to his personality as a player, Allen retired to a quiet life in Northern California with his wife and three kids. Allen finished his playing career with the San Francisco 49ers in 2006 and 2007, but signed a one-day contract with Dallas prior to the 2008 season, enabling him to retire with the franchise that drafted him 14 years earlier.

Legacy and Honors

Allen's impact on the game extended far beyond his on-field performance. Allen was feared enough among his peers that notorious trash-talker John Randle of the Minnesota Vikings decided to keep to himself when he faced the Cowboys, so as to avoid making Allen mad. He was known for his incredible strength and athleticism, once bench-pressing 700 pounds while dumbfounded teammates watched, then mobbed him. The Hall of Fame noted that Allen "could literally beat the will out of his opponents, with many quitting midgame or not dressing at all rather than face him, but that was only on the field. Off it, he was a quiet, gentle giant.”

“The National Football League is filled with gifted athletes, but only a rare few have combined the size, brute strength, speed and agility of Larry Allen,” the Hall of Fame said in a statement. “What he could do as an offensive lineman often defied logic and comprehension.”

Allen earned ten Pro Bowl selections and six first-team All-Pro honors during his 12 seasons with the Cowboys. He is enshrined in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor at AT&T Stadium. In the 1994 NFL Draft, Allen was selected in the second round (46th overall) by the Dallas Cowboys and was the tenth offensive lineman to be selected that year. However, he quickly proved himself to be the best in the NFL and was named to 11 Pro Bowls in 14 seasons, 10 of which came with the Dallas Cowboys -- more than any offensive player in Dallas' franchise history. In addition, Allen was a seven-time All-Pro selection, a member of the 1990's and 2000's All-Decade Teams and he won a Super Bowl ring with the Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX on Jan. 28, 1996. He is arguably the strongest person to ever play in the NFL, having recorded a bench press of 692 pounds (although some have said Allen has lifted in excess of 700 pounds) and a squat lift of 900 pounds. In 2010, Allen was No.

Allen entered the Hall of Fame as a first-ballot selection about a year after his mother died, knowing her presence would have helped him get through a speech after a career spent trying to avoid the spotlight. "I miss her,” Allen said before going into the hall. “Whenever I’d get nervous or had a big game and got nervous, I’d give her a call, and she’d start making me laugh.”

Following his death, tributes poured in from across the football world. “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 Monday. “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.” Aikman posted on the social platform X: “He was a HOF offensive lineman that dominated opponents regardless of the position played,” Aikman posted on the social platform X. “Off the field, he was a gentle giant that loved his family.”

Sonoma State Remembers Allen

One of Sonoma State’s most celebrated athletes, Larry Allen, died on Sunday, June 2. He was 52. Allen was the first student-athlete in the history of SSU football to be drafted into the National Football League when he was picked by the Cowboys in 1994. He was named to the Pro Bowl 11 times and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013. Though he spent his final two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, he officially retired from the Cowboys.

Allen is a member of the Sonoma State Athletics Hall of Fame and the NCAA Division II Football Hall of Fame. Former Sonoma State football All-American Larry Allen, who became the first SSU student-athlete to be drafted by the National Football League in the 20-year history of football at SSU, will be inducted into the Division II Football Hall of Fame on Friday, as part of the 26th annual Harlon Hill Trophy and Division II Football Hall of Fame Banquet in Florence, Ala. "It feels great to be inducted," Allen said.

"My heart is heavy with the loss of SSU Cossack and Dallas Cowboy great, Larry Allen," said Scalercio. "Larry will always hold a special place in the hearts of our community and my family. He will forever be one of the most respected players, teammates and men in college football and the NFL.

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