Lyle Alzado
Alzado, Lyle Martin b. 1949. d. 1992.
Football player. He played for the Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns and the
LA Raiders. Lyle, a true defensive standout for the Broncos, was the first
Yankton College (South Dakota) player ever drafted by the NFL and was a
two-time all conference pick. From those humble beginnings, his combination of
quickness and strength, provided Lyle with the pass-rushing skills to start with the
Broncos in 1971.
His 4.75 40-yard dash time, coupled with his tremendous strength - Lyle once had
27 wins as an amateur boxer - ranked Lyle as one of pro football's top pass
rushers. His status as a premier defensive lineman was also enhanced by his
versatility - he played both end and tackle in the front four with All-pro status.
Lyle Alzado was 42 when he died of brain cancer. An American football
SuperBowl hero with the Los Angeles Raiders in the 1984, Alzado owned a
restaurant in West Hollywood and had embarked on a career as a movie actor
when he died in 1992 after going public. "I started taking anabolic steroids in 1969
and never stopped," he admitted during his pain-racked final days. "It was
addicting, mentally addicting. Now I'm sick, and I'm scared. Ninety per cent of
the athletes I know are on the stuff. We're not born to be 300lbs or jump 30ft.
But all the time I was taking steroids, I knew they were making me play better. I
became very violent on the field and off it. I did things only crazy people do.
Once a guy sideswiped my car and I beat the hell out of him. Now look at me.
My hair's gone, I wobble when I walk and have to hold on to someone for
support, and I have trouble remembering things. My last wish? That no one else
ever dies this way."
Riverview Cemetery, Portland, Oregon, USA.
Cause of Death: Brain cancer brought on by excessive steroid use.