NFL: Selecting the best player in each franchise’s history
By Brad Rowland
Dallas Cowboys – Larry Allen
By nature of sheer numbers, making the choice for the Dallas Cowboys is extremely difficult. Dallas has been “America’s Team” for a long time, and their impact spans generations. Names like Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin come to mind for younger fans, while Bob Lilly, Roger Staubach, Danny White, Bullet Bob Hayes and others fly to the top of mind for more “mature” consumers. Still, there is no clear distinction at the top, and I’m taking the best player regardless of position.
That player is Larry Allen.
Allen was the best offensive guard in the NFL during his tenure with the Cowboys (1994-2005), and that earned him 11 trips to the Pro Bowl and six selections as an NFL All-Pro. He was utterly dominant throughout his time in Dallas, destroying opponents in the running game while proving to be a nimble pass-blocker despite a 325-pound frame. Moreover, his polish was ahead of its time.
Allen was also named as an all-decade selection for both the 1990s and the 2000s, and is arguably the best guard in NFL history. Undoubtedly, this selection will turn some heads, but no members of the Aikman-Smith-Irvin duo stood out as the best player at his position during their respective era. And while some of the older greats (especially Bob Lilly) could make that claim, Allen’s dominance and longevity stick out above the rest.
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