Lemme Tell You Somethin' – Remembering Larry Allen: A Tribute to a Football Legend – Ep. 70

[Music] hey it's another edition of Nate Newton and John rigan together talking all kinds of sports there is so much to talk about um it's it's a beautiful little show that is inspired by what Nate always says when he gets serious and he looks you right in the eye or in the camera in this case and he says let me tell you something it's a special today it's all about somebody today it's a special it's amazing it's a lot going on which is never surprising and always surprising Nate it's the Cowboys off season and there's always stuff to talk about and uh and we have a lot to talk about we're also going to talk about those Dallas Mavericks they are headed to the NBA finals unbelievable but Nate unfortunately we have to start with some bad news you you hit me up called me early Monday uh to let me know the bad news about our friend uh Larry Allen th this is just shocking news I'm sure everybody's heard but Larry was on a on a vacation with his family in Mexico and at the age of 52 he passed away on uh in Mexico over the weekend I mean I know Nate this hit the cowboy world the cowboy Nation hard uh you know John I got a call Early a text early in the morning uh Monday and it and it said uh Nate have you heard it was from RJ choppy from from the fan and I looked at it and I just ignored it but then I said n let me let me look into this so I hit choppie back I said I hope it's not true but I'm checking on it and no more than 30 minutes later I got a a call from miss Emily you know the lady that's over all Cowboy players relations and she said Larry passed and I said well m any details you know I don't like to go into people's Family Matters you know she said well this is the details this is what we're putting out uh that Larry passed in Mexico on a deal but she told me that he was just uh talking to his wife he laid back was resting going to go to sleep and he never woke up and uh and so I I don't go any further than that that that is what I'm going to believe uh I'm not trying to figure out whether he had health problems or whether this that and the other I leave that for the for the public uh consumption because Larry was uh a good and great man a great a good and great teammate and his family was always Pleasant to me so that's where I'm leaving that but it was a shocker because I thought Larry was maybe 55 56 and I was off by four or five years this kid is 52 I'm 62 I'm like wow really yeah it's just it's too young and uh and it's too good a man as you mentioned and and we we'll spend a few minutes doing not not speculating about anything regarding uh his unfortunate and untimely demise but just remembering uh our great memories of him and and you know for me one of the things is that like when I think of Larry cuz he wasn't you know the most verbal guy in the world which isn't always great for media when you're holding the microphone and asking him questions but he was always happy to do anything you asked him to do and then anytime you asked him a question man it seemed like he just had a smile a little giggle a little laugh I mean he was just a happy happy go-lucky man for a guy that was raised and confident I'm hope I got the city right this town right who a guy who was raised up on the streets uh gang related uh went to little Sonoma State and uh uh he had a piece about it man like you say he would Larry what's up today man he'll look at you with that old dip in the side of mouth and he'll get put his th in his ear and he'll laugh and you know I'm doing all right I'm doing all right but it was something about when he got time to play football when it became time to play football and I have to put Big E in that same category when they they life was it was a different it was a different human being and so but like you say Larry always had that nice smile that great laugh and uh wow he's gone yeah so go all the way back uh you're you're a veteran by the time that that Larry gets drafted uh and and you see this kid coming in out of Sonoma State uh you know and it wasn't even a first rounder and so you you are you like what's your first memory of seeing him uh as a you know on the field and and sort of realizing whoa this cat's gonna be good let me and I'm glad we're we're doing our podcast man because I can tell the story and I have to chop it up when I first saw this kid I just looked at him I said wow he's a big man yeah I mean you don't know if a guy athletic or not just about him walking around but he had a good bodybuilt to him and so we go into training camp or we we into the mini camps and you know we didn't have OTAs back there it was just Jimmy Jimmy the only one had OTAs everybody else just had regular mini camps Jimmy had the only mandatory OTAs I ever knew about and so here we got this kid and he comes in second round pick out of Sonoma and he is pass blocking and back then it wasn't no walkthroughs everything was Bloody throughs I mean you had to get it going you had to compete and so I saw this guy man and they they body swatted him and think he was at the Right Guard right tackle and the guy went for an inside move so he body swatted and kind of Knocked Larry off balance man Larry popped back and got back on this dude I looked to Big E and I'm not gonna cuss profusely like I did back then but I said damn did you see that I said uh Big E somebody about to lose their job and I had to pick up my game CU I'm like it ain't gonna be me CU you you you had never seen and you have to know what you're looking at to understand because there was no 15 reps that this kid did it was one rep One play and I I'm like look at the balance look at the balance on this dude man look at the explosion for you to be able to be out of out of line and to pop back and to get yourself back that's power that's agility that's explosion all in one movement and I was like my I'm like you know how many people have to work to get to that point and this kid just came out of Sonoma State beating up all them small kids you know cuz ain't nobody big against mate they they all about your size R they just get beat up and Dr you know and that was the why he didn't go the first round he's at Sona State he's playing second and third tier players can he be this type of guy and Jimmy said well you know I'll take him I I I'll see can he be that type of guy here we go and then he becomes one of the best ever you know a Hall of Famer so many pro bowls so many you know trips to Hawaii I mean all of it all he became maybe you know you could put him in the conversation with those guys who would be in the you know the Mount Rushmore of the best offensive lineman ever with with what he accomplished and I I I I wonder you were talking about that Sonoma State thing that balance that you're talking about Nate that's born in right I mean that's like even at one of the big schools even the vaunted Nick Savin whoever they they can't teach that can they yeah let let me say this man wow let me put this coffee away man let cuz I don't want to knock this coffee over let me say this right here God give certain people gifts and I'm saying this and I'm meaning this what God gave Michael Jordan no other man has what God gave Tom Brady no other man has what God gave Larry Allen no other man has it's called next level there's great players and then there's Next Level and and in those what I mean by Next Level everything about them breeds the sport that they're in the competitive level the athletic ability not only physically but mentally that takes over everything because that makes people realize when you see Larry Allen you saying this dude is a football player when you see Tom Brady this dude is a football player when you see Michael Jordan everybody before and after you always judging him against those people there is five offensive linemen that I value and I can and they can play in any era right tackle Jackie Slater Right Guard John Hannah Jackie Slater with the Rams John Hannah with the New England Patriots Mike Webster center with the Pittsburgh Steelers Larry Allen left guard the Dallas Cowboys Anthony Muno left tackle with the Cincinnati Bengal they could play in any eror because they were mean they were physical they had the balance they had the explosion to play in any era and uh now Big E would have been in that if he wouldn't hit that wall yeah not for the accident yeah yeah it it it's amazing and uh I remember were you you there when there was video but I think it was taken like by a Cowboys videographer of him of Larry lifting I think it was about 600 lb bench 700 plus it 700 700 plus I felt like I it's like it's like the dudes in the prison just lifting and and not knowing what's going on when you're in in the prison you just like man I ain't counting it just put it on there yeah just keep going yeah and I remember because when put that 700 and maybe 730 or 50 lbs on there and they just had a guy back that's standing behind them I say hold hold I said because if this slip it's going to kill this dude cuz if this slip off his hands or something it's going to break his arm it's going to crush his chest I say give me two people on the side I say Larry I hate to stand over kind of back behind you or kind of over you with my bottom but we is not going to let this weight fall you and he just laugh he just just laugh man he we got it up man he hit that thing boom I mean it wasn't no bounce he just boom yeah and then what I remember our buddy rocket who used to do a show with us too he was there watching and he Dove over Larry Larry's still laying there on the bench rocket Dives over him I'm G tell you man he this dude still with something uh and like I like I tell people you know everybody and and I just thank God that I played or like I watched Michael Jordan I met Michael Jordan I watched him play I met Tom Brady I know Tom Brady I've talked to him I've watched him play I know Larry Allen I've met Larry Allen he's not with us now but I watched him play they are not great players they are Next Level see the these people that think they know something they don't know Next Level because people give greatness and all of these things a name and a definition and they don't know what they're saying like M like momes he Next Level yeah everybody else in the league is just quarterbacks because he has taken teams to the Super Bowl that had flaws Tom Brady has taken many uh New England team to the Super Bowl that had flaws the only person that didn't have flaws was Michael Jordan was once his boys got ready they did it Scotty and all of those they they know they Rose and they were high level at they roll uh the same with us with the Cowboys we were high level at our roles so but when you get a special player they are next level and when you look at them you know they represent their Sports to the highest it's amazing because especially those football players you mentioned but I'm sure even Jordan when you met him Nate uh they they those people you mentioned have such tremendous respect for you too right I mean and I get it you're not on their level cuz they're that next level yes but you're you're you're like they they don't see you and go oh yeah you had a cute little career they say you a man you know you're a three-time Super Bowl champion you were you know you were a road grader out there I mean that's a that's got to be a wonderful feeling like I tell people you know I was a road grer I I move humans for a living but Larry Allen mve to Earth I mean he's earth mover gu guys have always given me my my my my flowers man and I and I appreciate that but I tell people there's Hall of Famers out there I wouldn't give two nickel for and then there's Hall of Famers out there we like Dion said they should have a different room cuz Dion should have a different room and Larry Allen should be in that room and and and and and uh and and Jackie Slater should be in that room John Hannah you know and I'm not going to mention the guys that shouldn't be in that room but I'm telling you the guys I think should be in that room Johnny unit should be in that room you know what I'm saying emit Smith should be in that room now nobody likes him because he wasn't flashy he wasn't a a Barry S Type guy but that dude that dude did what he had to do you know it's just a certain room people should be in yeah I'll tell you this about EMT too and I saw some video of EMT uh you know just the last day or two you know people could say what they want about him and we knew him you knew him better than I did but I know EMT well and and man he was crying you know he got on camera and he was crying about the loss of his buddy and a guy who just you know created so many holes for him and Larry alen tunnel bro tunnels uh yeah Larry Allen man I mean people you cannot uh and what makes it so sweet is he was was a family man that that that that what I tell when you can say that a guy was a great whatever in his sport in the top 3% of his sport of all times and then you can say he was a family man I just would like to know that he was a Christian too and that's just what Nate want not speaking for no one else that's just what Nate prays for you know so I'm not please don't try to come at me or rad about our about my belief but that is what I hope and pray for yeah I believe it too I think he is and was and and he's in a better place as as we like to say and do believe I will say that last thing about Larry because we got to move on to today's Cowboys but uh I I wonder too because we both saw it you saw you know the hand in the ear and the laugh and that you know if infectious smile and laugh he had off the field and I know and you know better than me he wasn't like that on there and I wonder if some of that anger that was bred by a a difficult upbringing right he somehow channeled all of it over there to that football field and and obviously it paid dividends yeah to whooping grown men I mean cuz you know it's worth that to go out there compete R but can you just abag it then I'll tell a quick story about Warren Sapp Warren Sapp uh that's my homeboy from he from uh popka Florida he said uh I went to do an interview at Tampa this when my earlier days mess around with ESPN the uh the national and so I'm in I'm I'm I'm in town and Warren called me hey homeboy homeboy come here I said yeah what's up Warren what's up baby tell your boy Larry Allen when we played him this year he ain't fac nothing like this and I looked at Warren I said Warren I said homeboy I said Warren you want me to call Larry and tell Larry what you said homeboy this I'm your homeboy right I said yes sir do what I ask you to do I called Larry I said Larry sap said he gonna play you this year and you ain't face nothing like this you know what happened right all he did was started laughing he started laughing and he said okay and that's all he said but my credit to Warren Sapp who is a Hall of Famer yeah I saw him after the season he said you call Larry Allen and tell him I ain't fac nothing like that in my life boom that let me know how real Warren was yeah true yeah to give Praises man and I call Larry said Larry Warren say he ain't face nothing like you once again all I got was a laughter and said okay hey hey that's poking the bear man I always tell don't poke the bear you know was Grizzly too so you know two Grizzlies you want sneak up on him man tree a little higher right element of surprise baby come on man don't go up in there say I'm gonna fight you man Warren learned from that one I bet you he didn't taunt somebody after that that's funny that's a good story Hill after that cuz Larry Allen was the best in the game so yeah everything after that was downhill so Warren probably beat everybody else to death yeah he knew what he needed against Larry he brought that to everybody else yeah yeah uh so uh along those lines now we got this mini camp going on right now yes sir Micah comes to mini camp and and spoke and and you know uh defended his position of of getting ready in his own way and that's uh something that a lot of the you know Superstar type players are doing now and it's a different generation obviously none of this stuff would have flown when Jimmy was around uh but the one thing that troubled me when I saw some of the comments from Micah yesterday Nate were uh he said um that he's only spoken about 20 words to uh to coach Zim and and then there's a quote from Michael where he said you know other coaches keep telling me well you know coach Zim likes it this way and Micah said but I like it this way way and and that that concerns me a little bit Nate you you know to me it's not about Zim it's not about Micah it's about the team and winning coach has coached great players coach Zim has coached great players greater players than him he coached Deion Sanders Next Level Next Level y so but Zim has also coached players way less than him so Zim will find that that middle ground uh my my my question has always been since the day one that Michael walked into here into this uh to the facilities and I and I and this is my biggest fear and you'll keep hearing me say it how quick will the brand Crush these kids and what I mean by that the Dallas Cowboy star how big they become but how little they do Micah has not accomplish nothing compared to the other greats that have played his numbers say one thing his winning percentage playoffs cuz we're not a regular season team playoffs have not showed up late season not showed up so I'm hoping whatever mic is doing to better himself it will happen this year and he will be that guy that takes that defense over the top I mean I have nothing against this kid I think he's a great athlete I think he's a great pass rusher I think he I think he has so much more to offer if he would just truly settle down and mature yeah and as a guy uh you know because I I'm you know friends blessed blessed with so many former players and players now I'm a players guy I side with the players and I get this logic that Mel Micah also espoused yesterday which is basically look I am doing uh what is best for me so that my body will not break down during this season he says you know once my body does break down they're done with me so I want to do what I think is best to have me ready and and that is you know this Nate and you've you've had a great relationship with the Cowboys even after you left in the whole thing but the reality of pro sports is you know if if you can't do it anymore we'll see you later yeah yeah and I have nothing against none of that I really don't me neither yeah and if you're going to portray that it's about you and it's about you and it's about you I have no problem with at least he's being honest and that is what we can't take in today's society yeah we ask for honesty we get honesty like like but like I I continue to say this Micah has so much more to give right the problem is do he want to give it yeah you know and uh do your thing m i mean make your money I never begrudge you that you know I'm I never no matter what I think is best I'll never begrudge a man his money you know I I just you know everybody just thinks I mean I mean I listen to the NFL Network I listen to ESPN I listen to T and when I hear another athlete begrudging somebody they money you know for whatever reason that that just don't seem right no you know so do what you got to do Michael but I hope it it it gives us wins you know in the playoffs yeah and it feels like along those lines because you know Zim so well he he is the kind of Coach I believe uh that can bring out that best that that the things you're talking about right um the other things in Micah that that he hasn't accompl he got the ability to intercept balls he got the ability to cause a lot of sacks I mean a lot of fumbles he got the ability to change games you know not only by sacking but by hitting running backs for losses and see he's got he he he's the complete package if he want to be the complete package I mean that that is the difference between the kid in Cleveland Garrett miles miles miles changes the game man the bo of boys they change the game that kid up there only knock on that kid in Pittsburgh the watch kid if he stayed healthy W you Canna add one or two more wins cuz he'll change the game yeah and that's what I'm that's all I want from mik because if you start changing the game man you have a contract and you have one a backtack super years of changing games four or five game man you can tap that contract because you can be like hey man I ain't coming to and they'll be like man we can't win without Michael yeah yeah yeah game changes yeah so so speaking of contracts the happiest man uh you know in the in the in football yesterday might not have might have been uh OCD lamb yeah yeah yeah what happened with he saw the contract Jefferson got he said oh here we go baby yes yes the the the difference is I think is one has a has a team of players around him that's not getting paid in Jefferson and this kid CD has a guys that are getting paid so they're GNA have to be very creative to get him his money yeah you know because everybody see what Micah's doing Micah's trying Micah is doing a soft hold out he's letting everybody know I want to get paid so uh Dak uh if they decide to pay him quarterbacks are getting paid too much yeah and I and and that's not begrudging nobody their money but I just don't believe that you go out you know people say well you don't want to be without one like Minnesota got rid of Kurt you see what Atlanta did uhuh if you're getting judged if you're getting into the playoffs every year and you're not getting any further you need to you the one person that can take you over the hump supposedly is your quarterback this is what they will find out about Buffalo's quarterback this year he's at that stage now it's like is this kid going to get us some win us some games uh D the same at the same point D is you going to win us some playoff games uh you know so when you want to give a GU 60 50 60 million dollar and and and then you you home in the first round you know because and see people say no they make it to the second round no you don't no you don't you win the first round you lose the second round they don't give you no trophies for losing the second round they just give you the trophy for winning the first round so you don't advance and that's what I tell people you are first time you at first round you done yeah that's why I don't watch the ncaas I don't watch the first two games of the ncaas I wait till like the third round because now the people that's really balling that's who's there that's same with back in the NBA that first round I'll be like please her let's get this over with you know I'll be looking at TNT I'd be like man Heron them guys fishing cuz I ain't watching that first round I'm like forget that but when that second round come oh basketball F to be played now baby yeah yeah yeah now too we're going to get to that in just a second just a little bit more on this mini camp uh it is it is a mandatory mini camp and they're saying you know that if CD misses uh all three of the of the sessions um you know cost him $100,000 dude's making 17 million now I don't think 100 really bothers him that much does it I'll be laughing every time and even and even on other major networks they say if they missed the whole training camp it's a million dollars okay they just gave a dude $88 million yeah to sign $88 million to sign and people like well you still don't want to miss the million this dude going to go buy a watch or a car yeah or a watch and a car for a million dollars yeah and he ain't going to drive the Caro once a week maybe once a year he ain't going put to watch on but maybe twice a year come on man please yeah yeah stop yeah yeah it's a different it's a different Stratosphere yeah yes now if they were trying to get a million from me and you we we like hey man we we we F to sell everything we own cuz we don't have it yeah yeah yeah exactly yeah you can't find me a million but uh but you know yeah so anyway I always thought that was funny but all right so so that's that let's talk about this uh run in Dallas Sports you know time right now now the stars did get eliminated then you have the Rangers as the as the reigning Champs and now I tell you what n Mavs they got a chance to pull this thing off against the Celtics don't you think uhuh no sir you don't oh that's right I forgot you're a big Celtics guy yeah stop oh okay so is that just the fan Nate talking or do you really think yeah your thunder got Thunder Dome got thumped up there in Oklahoma so now you riding I'm riding with the maps you're damn right and also uh the Thunder were a team too you looked at you go man that's a lot of talent over there is that is that more than the what the MAV have and I think it's the same with the Celtics right that's a lot of talent that's a lot of wins but man the way Kyrie and Luca have have played together I just yeah can we talk can me you can you look into your camera as I look into mine yes it is five players in this league that pair with the right guy and the organization put three or four guys that love their roles they cannot be beat let's start with Denver okay and I can't remember the two role players they had last year I think one of them was green and when they got rid of green and they got rid of this other guy that hurt their bench so with yish and the other kid Murray they had they had yic and they had Murray then they had these other guys coming off the bench that were nice players they got rid of those guys those two guys and what crushed Denver this year is their bench now let's move to the Mavericks you have Luca dones you have Kyrie Irving and then you got a bunch of guys that kind of look like one another but has different talents and they are like it up whether they are on the road or at home they are so comfortable but this engine is ran by Luca this engine is uh this booster on the back of that train is Kyrie so they got the front end and the back in it's what's in the middle that's CRA that's crushing this thing cuz when Luca a little off they got this dude just keep shooting these threes when when things need to speed up they get that thing to the Boost in the back and he push it a little bit harder and that's Kyrie bro uh so now you got two you got your front end and your back end even though Luca can close games you got your front end and your back end and all them guys in The Middle come on man that that they are dangerous yes they are dangerous and now we don't mess around here because the NBA want to take time and sell all of these products that made me mad because I need it for I needed for this games to hurry up and be played I hope I I hope I a lost myself I needed for these games to heard be play called Luka was a little banged up yeah yeah that's right and so the NHL has a thing if their Conference Finals go but like the N NH the Stanley Cup finals could have started tonight which they will or on the eth I think right if it went like seven games each Ser it's what the NBA should do you got two quick series one was a sweep one was six games start playing they should have been playing Tuesday night need them to play because that give my Celtics a chance sure yeah of course yeah yeah Luca Luca's had an off season now man he's healthy my Celtics don't have that player Tatum is a superstar Brown is a star but they don't have that ability to control games with their dribbling I've seen Luca dribble 10 seconds 12 seconds it's crazy it's crazy and still find an open man yeah and and throw a seed I mean just throw a bullet over there and my guys when they're not whipping the ball around and they go to the individual one-on-one deal and it ain't one minute left in the game or one minute left in a half they f with the ball a lot of times it's a 5050 chance they going F with the ball but never with Luca and no Luca LeBron Bird magic Isaiah I'm talking about guys that handled the ball at the end of the game those are unique guys those are you I don't have that unique guy on my team and then the big fella I mean is e going really play is he going to be really effective so all right let's say he does let's say he does and you've seen more Celtics than me this year because you're a fan how how much does that change this series if they are able to get a fully healthy christops porzingis in there if we can get a 20 minute Chris cuz he changes shots he plays a little bit more defense he can spread the court and that gives Brown a chance to do what he has to do and that gives uh Tatum a chance to be more of a complete player and now they whip the ball around just a little bit more so uh he can do it on both ends and if we can get him 15 minutes 20 minutes we can beat the Mavs but if they let this game be close we can't let them win on our Co court because when these guys went on your court they turn into sharks like blood in the water and Jason you can see see this is what hurts me the most about the Mavericks they don't understand how smart Jason kid is they don't understand his ability to relate to his players they don't they don't they don't understand I understand they don't and and that's cool that's cool because it's all about players but he remember the game against the Thunder the third or fourth game where they say hey you know what we need to pick the temple up we need to pick the temple up and and and Luca deferred to Kyrie yep coach Carlile could not get Luca to do that he couldn't get Luca to do that for some reason no you know but they have I'm telling you this this is going to be a good series yeah I think so to where we to where we have the true advantage and if these guys don't realize this is we have to play all the time defense all the time 247 15 days a week we have to play all defense don't worry whether our offense is working or not but if we play defense all the time we can get these guys but if we go out here trying to shoot with him trying to shoot with him trying to shoot with him and I could be wrong I'm not no basketball Savant but I'm saying from what I see we got to play all the time defense we got to make Luca dribble the whole what is it 97 feet we got to make him dribble soon as he get that ball on the inside we can't let him get to the top of the key and let him set a pick once LCA get you behind him and he put his butt in front of you he Ain let he it's it's it's five on four then so you got to take him at at half court and make them pick up higher to give you a chance to get back you know the what caller tried that but it was too late the timwood tried that in the last game but it was too late they was on fire they it it was it was charm in the water and the Sharks were eating bro they were just feeding man it was a frenzy yeah hey so how long have you been a Celtics fan ever since I was uh probably about 13 14 years old all right so so this this is going to make you mad I'm glad glad I'm glad you've been one that long I I want to make you mad to finish our our show up because it's always good to get Nate fired up so Chandler Parsons you know who had a minute here in Dallas he was here in hurt half the time he has a show now a talk show and he said that Luca is already better than bird so you know what he is Larry Bird he is Larry Bird you think Luca is but but even if he is n he's a starter yet though right see I don't Parson ch ch only won one one one in NBA championship right okay he has an opinion I I would respect that opinion but he is Larry Bird he is a fat Larry Bird he's he's Larry Bird yeah bro I mean what what Luca does is not pretty what Larry did wasn't pretty true if you want pretty if you want pretty you go to one of them other teams who got the slim guard and can run down there you go to gild you if you want pretty go get gild go to the Thunder yeah yeah you go get gild but if you want efficiency and Effectiveness you go get fat Larry Bird he right there with the Mavericks yeah go get fat boy yeah see there yeah there's a little gold for you at the end of the show Nate has just put us in touch with the fat Larry Bird yes sir the skinny Larry Bird didn't lose too damn much so I I got my money on the fat Larry Bird okay see what I'm saying I'll see what you're saying baby let see what you saying man hey fun as always Nate I love talking with you man and uh and we'll uh I know we'll do this again next time hey God bless y'all and our producer is Spencer bass and our guy that's supposed to be getting sponsor his name is Tom Tom get us some sponsors thank you come on man come on come on show's too good let's go [Music] [Music]