NFL legend dies suddenly
Larry Allen in 2007
NFL Hall of Famer Larry Allen died “unexpectedly” on Sunday while vacationing with his family in Mexico, the Dallas Cowboys announced Monday. He was 52 years old.
‘Passed away suddenly’
“The Dallas Cowboys are very saddened to share that Cowboys legend, Super Bowl champion, Cowboys Ring of Honor member, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Allen passed away suddenly while on vacation in Mexico with his family on Sunday,” the team wrote in a statement. “Larry, known for his great athleticism and incredible strength, was one of the most respected, accomplished offensive lineman to ever play in the NFL.”
No cause of death has been announced.
A trend of sudden deaths?
Allen is part of what appears to be a trend of sudden deaths among athletes, especially former NFL players.
In August last year, NFL star Sean Dawkins died suddenly of a cardiac arrest, also at 52.
The Jacksonville Jaguars, one of Dawkins’ former teams, lost another of their former players in December 2022 when 38-year-old linebacker Uche Nwaneri was found dead in his home. Autopsy results Monday revealed the 38-year-old Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker had died of an “enlarged heart with acute heart failure.” Nwaneri had sparked controversy during the pandemic with his hostility towards those who refused the COVID-19 vaccines, calling for the unvaccinated to be imprisoned.
In April last year, former NFL defensive lineman Chris Smith died at the age of 31. It is unclear exactly when or how Smith died.
In November 2022, 56-year-old former NFL defensive lineman Brad William Henke died in his sleep. No cause of death was disclosed.
Also in November, 45-year-old former NFL defensive lineman Adrian Dingle died unexpectedly. Again, no cause of death was disclosed.
Over 2,000 cardiac arrests in athletes since COVID-19 vaccine
A report last year from Good Sciencing found that there have been at least 2,112 cardiac arrests or “serious issues” among athletes around the world since the introduction of the COVID-19 injections. According to a recent analysis of news reports from January 2021 through December 2023, 1,474 out of the 2,112 athletes who suffered cardiac arrests died, an average of nearly 500 athletes annually. Over half of these appear to have occurred among football players.
Previous data show that sudden cardiac death (SCD) among athletes under 35, now described as a “well-known occurrence,” was much lower. According to a study by the International Olympic Committee over a period of 38 years (1966–2004), 1,101 athletes under 35 suffered SCD, an average of 29 per year. Incidents were most prevalent in soccer and basketball.
Five-fold increase after vaccine rollout
Other recent reports have shown a disturbing increase in cardiac events among athletes. A 2021 analysis from Israeli publication Real-Time News reported a five-fold increase in sudden cardiac and unexplained deaths among FIFA players that year alone.
