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Lyle Alzado was a throwback to the days before television, when the gridiron was patrolled by .Featured on Friday's edition of A Football Life, the former and defensive end is also a symbol of a bygone football era, Frank White Jersey before steroids and gratuitous violence became stigmatized.Alzado's 15-year NFL career has been tucked away in a dark corner of NFL history. It can't be trotted out before polite company in more politically correct times unle s the sharp edges are blunted, the nuances emphasized, the contradictions made clear, the redemption realized.Escaping an abusive father, Alzado came to the sport with an inferiority complex and a natural acceptance of violence. Football was his .Known for his rage and hostility, Alzado was dubbed "Darth Raider" and "Three Mile Lyle" Whit Merrifield Jersey -- the latter a nod to the in Pennsylvania.Alzado went on to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1977 as the beating heart of the "" defense that carried the to XII.One of the most ferocious pa s rushers of the era, Alzado's strength and intensity overwhelmed offensive linemen. After an enraged Alzado pick up a helmet and flung it at offensive tackle Chris Ward, the NFL enacted the "Lyle Alzado Rule," disallowing the use of helmets as a weapon."I could sic him on people like a Doberman," boasted former linebacker Tom Jackson, now an analyst with ESPN.Although Alzado was physically fearle s, he was emotionally unstable, harboring a deep-seated need to succeed no matter the cost. Alcides Escobar Jersey He turned to steroids, determined to do whatever it took to play football at the highest po sible level."I never knew how much of Lyle was Lyle," Jackson added, "and how much of Lyle was steroids."Disillusioned when the unloaded him on the in 1979, Alzado lamented, "There is nothing worse in this world than having people give up on you and not believe in you."Alzado found his spirit home in 1982 with the , famous for welcoming the league's outcasts and renegades.Prior to XVIII, Alzado made waves by threatening to rip the head off of Washington quarterback Joe Theismann. The ' defense went on to shut down the highest-scoring offense in NFL history, holding the to just nine points in a blowout victory.Finally calling it quits early in 1986, Alzado got out a year before the NFL began testing for steroids. Bolstered by HGH lifted from a cadaver, he went on to attempt an ill-fated comeback at age 41, four years later.Not long after, Terrance Gore Jersey Alzado was beset with brain cancer, believing it to be retribution for a profligate lifestyle."He made a deal with the devil," childhood friend Marc Lyons reasoned. "He got fame and fortune. And it was time for the devil to collect."Alzado died in 1992, but not before coming clean as a "phony" who copped to his greatest faults and stood as a cautionary tale for young players tempted by steroids.At first blush, Alzado's story is a tragedy. Friends and teammates speak of him as a charitable man with a big heart Jason Hammel Jersey who wanted to do good but couldn't.Dig deeper, though, and there is evidence of a colorful character and tortured soul who gave to others what he could not give himself.Absent our colorful characters and tortured souls, sports would not only be cheapened but also unbearably dull.The latest Around The NFL Podcast and previews every other Week 12 game. Find more Around The NFL content on .
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發表於 2024-10-29 12:39:39