CANTON, Ohio – Head coach Jason Garrett wasn't going to let the Cowboys' offensive linemen miss the induction of Larry Allen into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Garrett brought all of his team's offensive linemen, as well as select veterans on the team to watch Allen's speech as he was inducted a day before the Cowboys are set to play in the Hall of Fame Game.
Left tackle Tyron Smith was just five years old when Allen won his Super Bowl with the Cowboys in January 1996, so needless to say he only watched Allen sparingly growing up. But Smith quickly learned what Allen meant to the team.
"I didn't learn much about him until I got with the Cowboys," Smith said. "It's a great experience to be here, and I definitely didn't want to miss it."
The experience was just as great for the young undrafted players and backup offensive linemen in attendance. First-year tackle Edawn Coughman, who'd never been to the Hall of Fame before, said words couldn't express how he felt to walk through the Hall of Fame and watch Allen get inducted.
"It's a great honor," Coughman said. "I watched him a lot when I was younger. I'm excited to see this man in person. I'm elated."
Garrett wanted to make sure the majority of his veteran starters and the players on the team who knew Allen got to see the induction.
The list of veteran players at the ceremony included Tony Romo, Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, DeMarco Murray, Sean Lee, Bruce Carter, Justin Durant, Jason Hatcher, DeMarcus Ware, Danny McCray, LP Ladouceur, Will Allen, Barry Church, Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr.
