Lyle Alzado

Lyle Martin Alzado (April 3, 1949 – May 14, 1992) was an American professional football defensive end who played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Alzado overcame a challenging upbringing to excel at Lawrence High School before attending Yankton College and the University of Montana, where he honed his skills as a dominant lineman. Drafted in the fourth round (79th overall) by the Cleveland Browns in 1971, he was quickly traded to the Denver Broncos, with whom he established himself as a ferocious pass rusher, amassing 63.5 sacks over eight seasons and earning first-team All-Pro honors in 1977 along with two Pro Bowl selections. After stints returning to the Browns and then joining the Los Angeles Raiders in 1982, Alzado contributed 20.5 sacks and helped secure Super Bowl XVIII victory over the Washington Redskins in 1984, capping a career total of 112 sacks, three All-Pro nods, and recognition as the 1982 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

Lyle Alzado was born on April 3,, in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York, to Maurice Alzado, of Italian-Spanish descent, and Martha Sokolow Alzado, who was Jewish with Russian family roots. The second oldest of five children, including two sisters and two brothers, Alzado grew up amid significant family strife, with his father described as an alcoholic, street fighter, and absentee parent who owned a paint business and had a background as a professional boxer. His mother, who worked long hours at a flower shop to support the family, provided a more stable but overtaxed presence in a household marked by poverty and tension.