LYLE ALZADO: BIOGRAPHY AND SPORTS CAREER - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

Lyle Alzado (Born April 3, 1949 - Died May 14, 1992) was a defensive football player in the National Football League (NFL). He was famous for his intimidating and intense style of play (Knight, 2003).

He played for 16 seasons, in which he was with the Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Raiders with whom he won a championship in Super Bowl XVIII (Jewish Journal, 2007).

Image via: US Today

First steps

Alzado was born in Brooklyn, New York, the fruit of a relationship between an Italian-Spanish father and a Jewish mother (Google News, 1978). When he was ten years old, his family moved to Cedarhurts, Long Island.

His father, whom Alzado later described as a “hard-drinking and rowdy” left the family during Lyle's sophomore year at Lawrence High School (ESPN, 2003). Alzado played football in high school and was a candidate for the Vardon Trophy at his school for three years (Google News, 1978).

College career

After not receiving a college scholarship offer, Alzado played for Kilgore University, a public university in Kilgore, Texas. After two years, they asked him to leave the team.

Then he confessed that it was because he had a friendship of color (ESPN, 2003). Alzado moved from Texas to Yankton University in South Dakota, a university that today houses a federal prison.

Despite playing near-anonymous in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes, Alzado came to the attention of the NFL when a Denver Broncos talent scout saw a Yankton University game by chance (Google News, 1978). Impressed by Alzado's abilities, he sent a report to his team (ESPN, 2003).

The Broncos selected him in the fourth round of the 1971 Draft. Alzado returned to Yankton after his rookie season to earn his college degree. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Education.

NFL career

With the Denver Broncos

When one of the starting defenders was injured in 1971, Alzado took over and made it to several top rookie teams for his 60 tackles and 8 sacks.

The following year, Alzado began to gain national attention when he had 10 sacks along with 91 tackles. In 1973, Alzado achieved excellent numbers when the Broncos had a positive record for the first time in their history at 7-5-2.

1974

In 1974, Alzado raised more eyes when a publication named him one of the best players in the American Football Confederation, with numbers of 13 sacks and 80 tackles.

He was recognized as one of the best defenders in the league, along with Elvin Bethea, Jack Youngblood, Cark Eller among others. That year, the Broncos ended their second consecutive winning season 7-6-1.

1975

In the 1975 season there were regulatory changes, with Alzado being moved to the defensive tackle position, responding with 91 tackles and seven sacks. That season was a minor one for Alzado and the Broncos, who finished 6-8. On the first play of the 1976 season, Alzado injured his knee and missed that season.

1977

1977 was the most successful season for the franchise in its history. The Broncos had one of the best defenses in the NFL, finishing 12-2. They then beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders to reach Super Bowl XII.

In that game they were consistently beaten 27-10 by the Dallas Cowboys. It was a year of growth for Alzado, who was voted one of the league's best players by consensus, in addition to winning the AFC's defensive player of the year award. Ultimately, he led the Broncos with eight sacks and 80 tackles (Knight, 2003).

1978

In 1978, the Broncos qualified for the postseason, but lost in a clash with that year's champions, the Pittsburg Steelers. Alzado had 77 tackles and nine sacks and posted his first NFL safety.

He was chosen among the best players in the league for the second time and among the best players in the American conference. In 1979 he had a dispute on his contract and the Broncos traded him to the Cleveland Browns (Knight, 2003).

Cleveland browns

Alzado, in his first year at Cleveland, had 80 tackles with seven sacks (Knight, 2003). The following year, the Browns won the AFC Central Division, but lost to the Raiders in the divisional round.

In 1981 he suffered some injuries and at times his concentration in the game was diminished by problems in his private life, even so he registered 83 tackles and led the Browns in sacks with 8. Despite this, his team traded him to the Oakland. Raiders in 1982 (Flores, 2003).

Los angeles raiders

After being ruled out by the Browns, Alzado returned to hard work and won the NFL's comeback of the year award, even though he had played the entire season in 1981 (Porter, 1995).

1982

In the 1982 season cut short by the players' strike, Alzado in nine games recorded seven sacks and 30 tackles and was voted one of the best players in the American conference.

Lyle continued his good run with the Raiders in the 1983 season, helping them win the Super Bowl with a record of 7 sacks and 50 tackles.

The following season he had an exceptional season with 63 tackles and 6 sacks. In 1985 his tackling and sack numbers declined due to a midseason injury (Porter, 1995).

1985

Alzado retired at the end of the 1985 season. He attempted to return in 1990, but injuring his knee in training camps was released (Los Angeles Times, 1990). In 196 games, he had 112 sacks, forced 24 turnovers and had about 1,000 tackles.

Steroid use and death

Alzado was one of the first major figures in American sports to admit the use of anabolic steroids. In the last year of his life, while battling a brain tumor that caused his death, Alzado claimed that his steroid abuse led to his illness (Weinberg, 2007). Alzado recounted his steroid abuse in Sports Illustrated:

“I started taking anabolic steroids in 1969 and never stopped. It was addictive, an addiction to the mind. Now I am sick and I am scared. 90% of the athletes I know also use them. We are not born to weigh 140kg or jump 9 meters. But every time I was on the steroids, I knew they were making me play better. I became very violent on and off the field. I did things that only crazy people do. One time someone brushed his car with mine and I beat him up. Now look at me, I have no hair. I stumble when walking and have to hold onto someone to keep from falling. I also have trouble remembering. My last wish? Let no one else have to die like this ”.

Controversy

The role that anabolic steroids played in Alzado's death has been the subject of controversy. The brain lymphoma that led to his death has not been clinically associated with steroid use.

This was declared as a myth in the 2008 documentary Bigger, Stronger, Faster and by Wisconsin pediatrician and steroid expert Norm Fost, who has ties to the steroid industry (Think Steroids, 2012).

Alzado died on May 14, 1992 at age 43 after a fight against brain cancer. He was buried in the River View Cemetery in Portland, Oregon.

References

1. ESPN. (December 23, 2003). ESPN Classic. Retrieved on December 19, 2016, from ESPN Classic.
2. Flores, F. (2003). Tales from the Oakland Raiders. Sports Pub.
3. Google news. (October 15, 1978). Daytona Beach News Sunday Edition. Retrieved on December 19, 2016, from Daytona Beach News Sunday Edition
4. Jewish Journal. (December 27, 2007). Jewish Journal. Retrieved on December 19, 2016, from Jewish Jornal
5. Knight, J. (2003). Kardiac Kids, the story of the 1980 Cleveland Browns. Ohio: Kent State University Press.
6. Los Angeles Times. (May 11, 1990). Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on December 20, 2016, from the Los Angeles Times
7. Porter, D. (1995). Biographical Dictionary of American Sports. Greenwood Publishing.
8. Think Steroids. (February 2, 2012). ThinkSteroids.com. Retrieved on December 20, 2016, from ThinkSteroids.com
9. Weinberg, R. (2007). Foundations of sports and exercise psychology. Human Kinetics.