Jayla Allen, the daughter of Cowboys Hall of Famer Larry Allen, said in an Instagram post Monday that she is “completely shocked” by her father’s sudden death Sunday while on a family vacation in Mexico.
Larry Allen was 52 years old and the cause of death has not yet been released.
“I don’t know how to write this message or what to say,” Jayla Allen wrote on Instagram, sharing various photos of her with her father at different times in her life, including one from what appears to be a Cowboys game and another of her wearing his gold Hall of Fame jacket. “I am in complete shock. This is a nightmare and I can’t wait. I prayed every night for my dad to be safe. Dad this doesn’t feel real. I am heartbroken and don’t know what to do next.”
It is unclear if she was vacationing in Mexico with her family when her father died.
Larry Allen was drafted in the second round out of Sonoma State and spent all but two seasons of his 14-year NFL career with the Cowboys, earning 11 Pro Bowl selections. Allen played as an offensive line guard blocking for Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith.
Smith tried to hold back tears as she remembered Allen in an Instagram video on Monday.
“Really good guy,” Smith said in the video. “Great player. Great person. Just heartbroken. I know life is so fleeting and we’re only here for a moment. Make the most of every moment and never take anyone for granted.”
Former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman also spoke about Allen’s death. In X’s post.
“Just received the heartbreaking news that our beloved teammate, Larry Allen, has passed away,” Aikman wrote. “He was a Hall of Fame offensive lineman who dominated opponents no matter what position he played. Off the field, he was a gentle giant who loved his family. Rest in Peace LA 💔🙏🏼.”
Allen was drafted by the Cowboys after those two years in the Super Bowl, and the three were part of a team that went to the NFC Championship Game the following season.
And in 1995, Dallas beat the Steelers behind two rushing touchdowns from Smith to win its most recent title.
Allen is survived by his wife and three children, including Jayla, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.
“I was blessed with the best father who loved me unconditionally,” Jayla Allen continued in her Instagram post. “You did everything for our family and I am forever grateful. I am completely devastated and don’t know what to do with myself from this. The pain of losing you will stay with me forever. You were my best friend and my twin. I was always told we were so alike and it always made me smile.”
