Larry Allen

126
Larry Allen bigraphy, stories - Player of American football

Larry Allen : biography

November 27, 1971 –

Larry Christopher Allen, Sr. (born November 27, 1971) is a former American football guard who played in the National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played college football at Sonoma State. At 6 ft 3 in height and weighing 325 pounds, Allen is regarded as one of the physically strongest men to have ever played in the NFL, having recorded an assisted bench press of and an unwitnessed squat of .http://www.sonoma.edu/newscenter/2013/02/post-179.html

An 11-time Pro Bowl selection, Allen played 12 seasons with the Cowboys and earned a Super Bowl ring with the team after a 27–17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX. He played his final two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers before signing a one-day contract with the Dallas Cowboys, allowing him to retire with the organization that drafted him, prior to the 2008 regular season. In his career, he played in more Pro Bowls than any other Dallas Cowboys offensive player in franchise history. On February 2, 2013, Allen was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Early years

Allen attended a different school each of four years of high school. As a freshman at Centennial High School in Compton, California, he lettered in football. For his sophomore year, he attended Tokay High School in Lodi. As a junior, he transferred to Edison High School in Stockton. He finished from Vintage High School in Napa, California, but did not graduate.

Professional career

1994 NFL Draft

He dropped in the 1994 NFL Draft because of his small school background and a rotator cuff injury.http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/article-BryanBroaddusBlog/LA-Story-Part-1-Scout-Recalls-Introductory-Look-At-Larry-Allen/f40ed8ae-06ec-4637-91da-f2e686863059 Allen was the tenth offensive lineman selected in the draft and the first player ever from Sonoma State University. He was selected in the second round (46th overall), which marked the highest offensive lineman selection by the Cowboys, since Howard Richards in 1981.

Dallas Cowboys

1990s

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 rookie in club history at the time, Flozell Adams broke the record in 1998. Allen helped Dallas establish a then team record by allowing just 20 sacks totaling just 93 yards (fewest in the NFL) while earning all-rookie honors.

Allen was forced into starting 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 (Mark) 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, (Erik) Williams was injured in automobile accident and was out for the rest of the season. After which, Allen was moved into the starting line-up at (Erik) Williams’s right tackle position permanently beginning at the Cincinnati Bengals on October 30. He received game ball, along with (Mark) 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. The announcers were talking 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, however he returned to play. In the NFC Championship Game at San Francisco 49ers, he struggled playing through three quarters on his injured ankle before leaving the game.