Getting to know Larry Allen

One of the things that happen when someone is elected to the Hall of Fame is that they instantly become “family” to us in Canton. Many of the staff members at the Hall of Fame, have gotten to know Class of 2013 enshrinee Larry Allen personally since he was elected in February. One of his characteristics is that he is a very humble man. So, during his visit to tour Canton several weeks back, we broached the topic of a video clip from his rookie season.

If you delved deep into our inaugural post of The Haggar Gold Jacket Report blog, you probably noticed a clip of Reggie White blowing by Allen. The play was one that fellow Class of ’13 member Jonathan Ogden was reviewing with ESPN host Tom Jackson in a special draft show shot here at the Hall of Fame in the mid-1990s.

It should be noted that the play occurred during Allen’s rookie season while White was an established NFL veteran and one of the most dominating defensive lineman in the history of the game.

Allen was good-natured and even laughed when we described the play. He readily recalled the particular moment and told us how he was exposed on film by his coaches in front of his Dallas Cowboys teammates in the days following the game. Like many great players, Allen wasn’t embarrassed by the play. Rather, he used it as a way to learn and it fueled his desire to develop his play as an offensive lineman in the NFL.

It wasn’t long before Allen mastered his trade and established himself as one of the greatest guards ever. He was so skilled that he even filled in at tackle when asked by the Cowboys. His play at the outside part of the o-line earned him All-NFL honors at that position in 1998.

Since Allen was so kind about us mentioning the clip of him versus White, it is only appropriate that we feature another video clip of Allen from his first season in the NFL. Check out this amazing highlight from a Monday Night Football game against the New Orleans Saints on Dec. 19. 1994. We can’t describe it any better than a pair of Hall of Famers, Dan Dierdorf and Frank Gifford, who marveled from the MNF broadcast booth at the young rookie’s play. Enjoy …

It is quite evident that Allen’s speed as a 325-pound lineman was extraordinary. But, it was also his strength that helped him become one of the game’s all-time greatest. We now send you over to the Cowboys website for a blog featuring a scene from 2001 as video captured Allen bench pressing 700 pounds!


We look forward to more highlights from our new “family member” that will stem from a memorable night in August when Larry is formally enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.