Larry Allen, Survived by His Wife and Three Children, Leaves Behind a Legacy of Love

When you go on vacation with your family, the last thing you expect is for someone to suddenly pass away. But that’s exactly what happened to Larry Allen when he was on vacation with his wife and kids in Mexico. The NFL legend died suddenly at just 52 years old on June 2, 2024. He leaves behind his wife, Janelle Allen, and three kids, along with a sizable net worth.

But Larry was known first to the public as a pro-football player. He was an offensive lineman with the Dallas Cowboys for the majority of his career, before finishing his final few years in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers. After he retired as a Cowboy (they re-signed him just for a day so he could retire with the franchise), he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, solidifying his place as a true legend. But what was his cause of death and who has he left behind?

First and foremost, Larry was a family guy. In his Hall of Fame enshrinement speech, he thanked his family and shared tidbits about his wife and kids. “Of course, I want to thank my heart and soul, my wife, Janelle. On our first date, she cooked for me. She cooked me two chickens, french fries, and baked me a cake, and gave me a 40 ounce. I knew then, that was my wife right there,” he laughed.

Larry added, “[Janelle] has blessed me with three beautiful children, Jayla Lee Allen, she's a talented actress and a writer. She helped me write this speech. I remember when she was a little girl, I would have a bad game. She was sensitive and she'd come up to me and say, ‘Daddy, what's wrong?’ She was about four years old. She would bring me cookies, cakes, and just try to cheer me up. She'll be going to Pepperdine University this year. I'm so proud of my little mama, and I know she's going to be an amazing woman.”

Now, Jayla often shares photos and posts of her family, continuing to spend time with them well into her adulthood. When her father passed away, she shared a heartfelt post on Instagram, in which she called Larry her “best friend and twin” but she knows he is “in peace and with granny.”

Larry then shared in his speech, “My youngest, Loriana Allen, she's a basketball player. She's kind of like LeBron James. She's pretty good. She's the funniest person I know. She makes me laugh all the time.” Now Loriana is studying Political Science and Government at Pepperdine University (her sister’s alma mater) and she’s set to graduate in 2025.

“To my son, Larry Allen III,” Larry finished the section of his speech. “He's a 6'4", 290-pound offensive lineman that plays at De La Salle High School, the No. 1 team in California. He's the smartest person I know, and I'm proud of you, Son. Very polite, but once he gets on that field, he's a beast, just like his daddy.”

But despite Larry III’s football chops, he decided to take a different path and focus on his biomechanics career instead after graduating from Harvard in 2019. He was signed undrafted to the Dallas Cowboys coming out of the Harvard Crimson, but the world of football may not have been for him.

After more than 13 years in the NFL, a Super Bowl title, 11 Pro Bowl selections, and six first-team All-Pro honors, it’s no surprise that Larry amassed quite the net worth. But it might have surprised his parents — Larry had some trouble in his early childhood and teenage years. He contracted meningitis at six weeks old and almost died. He was also stabbed 12 times at 10 years old by his neighbor.

Larry went to four different high schools, but never graduated, and was academically ineligible for NCAA Division I football. But because he was so good at football, Larry became the first player ever drafted from his alma mater, Sonoma State University, which was a Division II school.

Many of us would like to know what happened to Larry, but few details about his sudden death haven't been revealed. While some have suspected a stroke, no confirmations about Larry’s cause of death have been shared by those close to him.

It’s possible we’ll know what happened in the coming days, but also worth remembering that many football players have suffered from CTE, a brain disorder caused by multiple head injuries, which can lead to sudden death, so that’s a possibility.

Our condolences are with Larry's family, friends, former teammates, and fans.