Alzado

Storming into Cleveland
Lyle Martin Alzado
Born: 1949 Died: 1992
Cleveland Browns: 1979–81
Position: Defensive Lineman
Jersey Number: 77
Symptoms
In 1978, the Cleveland Browns finished with a record of 8–8, but their
defense was twenty-fifth in the league. When the opportunity to
bolster the defensive line arose in 1979, the Browns traded two future
draft picks (the 1980 second-round and 1981 third-round picks) for
Denver star Lyle Alzado, who was considered one of the top defensive linemen in the league. According to various reports, Alzado
was to get $220,000 per year, which was topped only by Brain Sipe’s
salary of $300,000.
Alzado was a character to say the least; he fought in an exhibition
bout against Muhammad Ali, he made home exercise tapes for men,
and he owned a disco during his time in Denver. The defensive
lineman had been accused of wild mood swings and abuse by an
ex-wife; in one game he ripped someone’s helmet off and threw it at
an offensive lineman (which resulted in the Alzado rule—“the
removal of another player’s helmet shall result in an ejection and
possible fine”). In 1983, when Alzado was playing for the Raiders in
the Super Bowl, the lineman threatened to behead Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann.
Alzado eventually attributed much of his erratic behavior to
steroid use that began at Yankton College in South Dakota. Alzado
also had a very tough childhood in the New York City area, dealing
with a father who was an alcoholic and prone to violence. In high
school, Alzado had many run-ins with the law and wasn’t averse to
fighting during football contests.
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The former Denver Bronco had three good years with the Browns,
including the 1980 “Kardiac Kids” season. That year the Browns’
playoffs ended with the interception of a Brian Sipe pass by Raiders’
Mike Davis on the infamous “Red Right 88” play. Alzado led the
Browns in sacks during two of his three seasons; he was All-AFC in
1979 and All-Pro in 1980. During the 1980 season, Alzado’s presence
helped the defense rank twelfth in the league. However, the 1981
Browns finished a dismal 5–11.
Prompted by the team’s poor performance, the Browns went on
a youth movement and traded draft picks (first round in 1983, second
round in 1984, and third round in 1985) for Tom Cousineau, the
Buffalo Bill’s first pick in the 1979 draft, who chose to play in Canada.
Cousineau had starred locally at St. Edward High School and The
Ohio State University. With Cousineau on board, the Browns
couldn’t pay Alzado the amount he wanted. Moreover, Alzado had
injured himself during the previous training camp and was seeing
a psychiatrist “for extreme mental pressure.” Alzado was traded to
the Oakland Raiders for an eighth-round draft pick and won a Super
Bowl with the silver and black.
Alzado died of a brain tumor in 1992 at the age of forty-three. He
attributed the condition to years of steroid use, but medical experts
differed on the cause of Alzado’s cancer. By the time of his death, he
was frail and barely able to walk.
Patient History
“I’d threaten their kids, their family, tell a guy he was ugly and
that he’d be dead by the end of the game.”
—Lyle Alzado
“You get a guy [Alzado] like that once in a while. His intensity
rubs off on the other players. He’s moody, he has his ups and
downs, but let him go sit in a corner, I don’t care. I know the
next morning he’ll be jumping all over the place.”
—Red Miller, Broncos head coach
clevel and’s bitter pill
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“Alzado will be the first of a lot of big names to come down with
cancers.”
—Dr. Forest Tennant, the NFL’s drug adviser, 1986–1990
Diagnosis
Lyle Alzado was a fan favorite during his three years in the brown
and orange, especially during the memorable “Kardiac Kids” season.
He was a wild man on the field, but his behavior off the field became
a problem, too. Stories surfaced about him, including that he threw
a chair at a newspaper reporter and that he assaulted a female police
officer after being stopped for a traffic violation. His time in Cleveland was turbulent. His story, perhaps more than any other athlete’s,
might have had the most impact on the NFL’s tough stance against
steroids in the early 1990s.
Second Opinion
The Browns gave up three picks (second- and fifth-round choices in
1980; third-round choice in 1981) to Denver to land Alzado. He
started 46 games in his three-year career with Cleveland. With one
of their picks, Denver chose Rulon Jones, who ended up having a
stellar career with the team. The Cleveland defense was twentyfourth, twenty-third, and twenty-third in Alzado’s three years. The
offense was ninth, eighth, and twenty-fourth in points scored. The
difference in 1980, which propelled the team to the playoffs, was the
fact that the defense was twelfth in points allowed. Unfortunately,
the Alzado-led defense never rose to championship caliber.
Treatment
“ ’Roid rage” is a term given to the hostile, aggressive actions that
sometimes occur in people who abuse anabolic steroids. These people
can become highly irritable and at times violent. There have been
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several accounts of murders, brutal attacks, and suicides linked to
steroid abuse. People abusing steroids may become paranoid and
delusional; they are also prone to severe mood swings. Research
indicates that those most vulnerable to developing steroid abuse are
those with a prior history of aggressive behavior. Because of the
adverse side effects of steroid abuse cessation (including an increased
risk of depression and suicide), steroid addiction can be difficult to
overcome without the help of trained medical professionals.
Incidental Findings
Yankton College was founded in 1881 and closed its doors in 1984.
In 1889, the college started its football program and became known
as the Greyhounds. Primarily playing regional contests, the Yankton
eleven had early success playing opponents like Huron College, the
South Dakota School of Mines, and Dakota Wesleyan.
At Yankton, Lyle Alzado was named All Tri-state Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference twice and a Little All-American. Still, he might
not have made it to the NFL without a little luck. Stan Jones, a coach
for the Denver Broncos, was on a scouting trip in Montana in 1971
when his car broke down. With time on his hands, he visited
Montana Tech University and saw a film of the 1970 Copper Bowl;
the Tech Orediggers had defeated Yankton. One player, an undersized defensive lineman who was in on every play, stood out on the
Yankton team. The Denver coach persuaded the Broncos to select
the player in the fourth round of that year’s draft. Lyle Alzado, the
Copper Bowl’s Most Valuable Player, went to Denver and became
part of the famed “Orange Crush.”