Legacy left by Lyle Alzado

To this day, I’m still not sure what the booklet was doing on my brother’s desk. But it was there, with a frail man in a bandanna on its cover. When I looked more closely at the picture, the face was more recognizable. It was Lyle Alzado. This would have been the fall of 1991. Alzado, a menacing and intimidating defensive lineman whose NFL career ended right about the time I started paying attention, had remained visible after his retirement, dabbling in acting and making numerous appearances in commercials. Alzado’s temper was one of his main attributes. About a decade ago, ESPN produced a documentary on Alzado. One of the people interviewed for it was Jerry Sherk, a teammate of Alzado’s when the pair played for the Browns. “There’s something called ‘The Lyle Alzado Rule,'” Sherk said, “and the rule is, you can’t take your helmet off, and beat someone with it.” The other main trait associated with Alzado? His body. Alzado looked (and at times acted and even played) like someone who was made for the muscle-heavy World Wrestling Federation. Big muscles, big temper, and a big heart. Alzado devoted much of his time to charities, and his interactions with children (shown in a recent NFL Network program on him) came across as so genuine and sincere, it would be impossible not to like him. But in 1991, this picture of Alzado didn’t square with his image. His long hair and muscles gone, only the menacing stare remained. Alzado was dying of brain cancer. But that wasn’t the story. The story was encapsulated in a pulled quote from Alzado. It’s been almost a quarter century since I’ve seen the cover, but I believe this to be very close to accurate: “If you are on steroids, stop. I should have.” Alzado was a star, a two-time Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl champion. And he said none of it would have been possible without performance-enhancing drugs. That much, most are willing to accept. But Alzado went further, blaming what was killing him – brain cancer – on his drug use. The link between the two has never been proven, but Alzado appeared certain of the link. Even more than 20 years after his death, whether steroids directly contributed to his demise is debated. But I do remember this: In a video made before his death, Alzado said he wished he could save “one little kid” from a life of steroids. I’d like to think he did. But I’m not sure he had the impact he wanted. Since the end of last season, more than 25 players have been suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Not all of the suspensions are for PEDs, but it’s still a big number. The most recent was Haloti Ngata, a defensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens. He was popped for using Adderall, a drug used to improve focus and concentration. It’s not an anabolic steroid, but it does bring home a point that was just as true in Alzado’s day. Many players will do what is needed for an edge. And that’s the frustrating part. We don’t know if the steroids Alzado took played a role in killing him. We do know steroids have shown to be dangerous, are against the law, and against the rules in practically all sports. We don’t know much about the long-term effects of certain drugs. We do know a number of athletes will take them because they need the help now. Whatever one thinks about the validity if Alzado’s claims, it is certain he was filled with regret, even if the drugs got him what he wanted. He had money. He had fame. But he died when he was only 43. I believe what Alzado’s story is about – as much as anything -is that there’s valuable time for players after their careers are over. No matter how good, how powerful, how strong a player is, it doesn’t last forever. I think Alzado was saying that living for now is fine. He did it when he was young. But when faced with his mortality, he realized he’d made a mistake. He tried to warn others. In a way, he succeeded. We still remember Alzado today, perhaps more for his end than his playing career. And yet, players keep trying to get that edge, and don’t worry about tomorrow. And that may be the saddest thing.