Alzado

Lyle Alzado was ferocious. He played for the Broncos, the Browns and the Raiders. As a defensive end, he was one of the very best. He seemed to play with an anger and hostility that was unrivaled in the league. The Browns got him from Denver in a trade in 1979 and he enjoyed three fine seasons with us. He finished his career with the Raiders and won a Super Bowl with them. Alzado was a perfect example of how a change of uniform could change my mind about a player. When he was with Denver, I thought he was the dirtiest player in the game.He got in countless fights and had a nasty habit of throwing helmets. I once saw him rip the helmet off of an offensive lineman and throw it. The announcer blandly stated that the guy was lucky his head wasn't still in it. I softened once he donned the orange and brown...thinking him to be more of a tough guy in a tough sport. Which was the truth of the matter? Probably both. After knee injuries forced his retirement, Alzado worked in the film industry making several movies and appearing on television. He attempted a comeback in 1990 that ended in training camp with another knee injury. He flatly stated that the NFL of his era was full of steroid users and that he used them himself for 20 years. He died after a battle with brain cancer in 1992. He spent the end of his life trying to convince youth of the dangers of repeated steroid use as he believed they led directly to his cancer diagnosis. He was of a warrior mentality and definitely a throwback from another era. Go Browns!