Before he died Sunday at the age of 52, my most recent memory of Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Allen came in 2016 when the Dallas Cowboys great was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in Waco.

Allen, the most dominant offensive lineman in Cowboys history, died while vacationing with his family. The linchpin on some great Cowboys offensive lines in the 1990s opened gaping holes for running back Emmitt Smith and kept quarterback Troy Aikman clean. His death seems unreal given the indestructible persona he crafted with his dominance over 14 seasons.

“Larry, known for his great athleticism and incredible strength, was one of the most respected, accomplished offensive linemen to ever play in the NFL,” the team said in a statement. “His versatility and dependability were also signature parts of his career.”

The 11-time Pro Bowler will be remembered for being on the short list of best athletes pound-for-pound in league history. People who follow the Texas Sports Hall of Fame also recall one of the shortest induction speeches ever.

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That night in Waco was one of sheer star power on stage — University of Texas legends Fred Akers and T.J. Ford and New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte went in with Allen — but Allen's speech will be remembered for its brevity as much as anything.

Three years after speaking for 16 minutes at his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction in Canton, Allen, the first inductee honored that night in Waco, came in at just under two minutes and then left with his family members.

For the record, none of the 600 in attendance ran over to ask, “Hey, Big Man, where you going?”

At 6-foot-3 and 335 pounds, Allen answered to no one outside his wife, I suspect. On the field, he was a Mack truck disguised as a football player.

Former teammates remember the day in the weight room when he bench pressed 700 pounds. Fans will never forget the day he ran down New Orleans linebacker Darion Conner 40 yards downfield after an Aikman interception. It epitomized the man’s work ethic and the greatness of those Dallas teams.

“I’m at a loss of words right now,” Smith said on his Instagram page. “Such a good dude. Great dude, super person. It breaks my heart.”

What an incredible loss for the NFL community and the family of a football titan and a real gentleman to boot.

Texas baseball faces an uncertain future

Now what?: Who knows what will happen in the Texas baseball community over these next few weeks, but the obvious move for coach David Pierce — if he’s still coaching the team in 2025 — is to find a full-time pitching coach with long-term viability under a head coach who has had a high turnover rate on his staff.

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On the field, the Horns had plenty of offensive firepower to win an NCAA regional in most years, but the pitching staff was nowhere near the program standard. The 2024 season will go down as the one that got away. Texas A&M was there for the taking in a crucial semifinal and Texas didn’t take advantage.

If athletic director Chris Del Conte grants Pierce a ninth season with Texas entering the SEC — easily the deepest baseball league in the country — it will be the ultimate nod of confidence for where the Horns are headed.

Pierce produced a 36-24 team, but one that was among the most vulnerable of his tenure.

Del Conte will take his time with this decision because it’s not an easy one.

Boston has to handle Batman and Robin

It'll come down to defense: The Boston Celtics will beat the Dallas Mavericks in six games because they will have a better plan on how to keep the dynamic duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving from both going off on the same night.

Boston is good enough to overcome one of the two going nuts because the Celtics have enough offensive firepower and a good supporting cast to match that electricity.

Defense will win this series and the Celtics are better in this area though Dallas boss Nico Harrison’s trades to bring in more size with Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II put the Mavericks on the right course to stalking a second title.

The Minnesota Timberwolves were powerless to stop Dallas’ Batman and Robin and just didn’t have enough quality defenders, especially if one of their guards got in foul trouble. No one will stop either of these elite scorers when they’re cooking — and the oven has been more than 400 degrees for most of this postseason — but the Celtics have the deepest group of perimeter defenders in the sport. Look for coach Joe Mazzulla to start with Derrick White on Doncic and Jrue Holiday on Irving.

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It’s doubtful he will risk early foul trouble with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — his two best players — but they will take their turns, albeit in part-time fashion.

Dallas will have a slugger’s chance, but the Celtics are ready to make history. Holiday was the missing piece and if big man Kristaps Porzingis can give them 15 to 20 quality minutes, that will spell even more trouble for the Mavericks.

Caitlin Clark needs some enforcers

Who's got her back?: Many of you are missing the point of this Caitlin Clark story.

The most intriguing WNBA story since the Houston Comets won four straight championships with Hall of Famers Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson is missing a key storyline.

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Where are her teammates when she’s taking unnecessary hits? Does anyone have her back?

The most ballyhooed rookie to enter the league in its 28-year history is taking a beating while her teammates just sit around and watch. Rookies get banged around in every sport and the WNBA is no different, but in Clark’s case, she doesn’t have a teammate willing to cover her back like Charles Oakley did whenever an opponent tried to rough up Michael Jordan in his early days.

Indiana post Aliyah Boston is just a sophomore in this league, but I’m still waiting on her and the other Fever players to get in someone’s face whenever Clark gets blown up. To be fair, Clark has thrown her share of elbows in her debut season and is already an accomplished trash talker. To her credit, she hasn’t really complained that much about cheap shots even if it’s obvious she has taken more than her share.

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She understands this is her initiation to pro ball even if there is an air of envy whenever some players are asked about her.

After Chicago guard Chennedy Carter body-checked her from behind over the weekend — a clear cheap shot that came after Clark was spotted barking at her on the other end — she told reporters she wouldn’t be answering any questions about Clark only to imply later on social media that Clark is one-dimensional: “Beside three point shooting what does [Clark] bring to the table man," she wrote.

How about more butts in seats, record television ratings, charter flights and star power? Beyond more revenue and increased exposure for the league and the players in it?

Clark also has game for days.

She has the potential to be the second coming of Diana Taurasi. She’s already an elite passer and her deep shooting touch will come back, and the turnovers will decrease once she gets a good offseason of weight training under her belt which will allow her to become more acclimated to the more physical pro game. She’s a star in the making and the speed of her rise up the ranks will depend on how quickly her teammates realize the golden goose should be protected at all costs.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Larry Allen spoke softly but was Dallas Cowboys legend up front