Lyle Alzado: The “Angry Man” of the NFL
An Interview with Lyle Alzado, the Angry Man of the NFL
Known as the “Angry Man of Football” as an All-Pro defensive end and tackle for the Denver Broncos (1971-78), Cleveland Browns (1979-81) and Los Angeles Raiders (1982-83), Lyle Alzado played in two Super Bowls.
Born in 1949, he admitted to taking a steady diet of anabolic steroids beginning in 1969, which he blamed for the brain cancer that killed him at the age of 43 in 1992.
I met him at a benefit dinner in 1987 and had the following conversation. – An Interview by Norman L. Macht
Q. Why is the Super Bowl often so one-sided?
A. That’s simple. If the Super Bowl was played one week after the playoff finals, you’d see a heck of a game just about every year.
All the regular season and playoff games are one week apart. For 17, 18, 20 weeks you play every week.
When you get those two weeks off, those 10 days of hype and distraction, teams let down. Their fine timing gets thrown off.
The concentration goes. It’s not that one team is so much better. Whichever one overcomes that time lapse best wins.
In 1977 I was part of the Orange Crush defense at Denver. We had a super emotional, fired-up defensive team.
Our offense had some weaknesses. They were intimidated by Dallas. I went there to win, but some of the guys were just happy to be there. That’s not enough.
In 1983 I went again, this time with the Raiders. We went to win, and did.
Q. What mental attitude does a rookie have to take into his first training camp?
A. You have to overcome fear and the intimidation of the veterans whose job you’re trying to take. The hazing takes place off the field --they send you out for food, make you sing, things like that.
Q. How did you gear up to play when you were hurting?
A. You play hurt every week in the NFL. Something’s always hurting. You need mental toughness to overcome the pain. I never took myself out of a game because of injury.
Q. What about playing hurt and risking more serious injury as a result?
A. You don’t think about that. As long as you’re able to be on that field, if you’re not ready to play, you don’t belong there. That was my way. It may not be for somebody else.
Q. How did you happen to go to Yankton College in South Dakota?
A. I grew up in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, in a cold water flat, six kids, no father in the house, rats running all over the place. I had nothing.
Now, when I have many things, I never forget where I came from. It keeps things in perspective.
I had a juvenile police record and none of the schools around there would take me.
This coach was at a sports dinner on Long Island and he heard about me and said, “If nobody else will have you, come out to Yankton.” I went, and graduated.
Q. How did you get fired up for a game against a weak opponent?
A. I always aimed at the man opposite me, not their whole team. When a top team is flat against a lower team, it’s because some players let down.
The whole team has to be up or the lower team will key on you and give you a real battle. To me, Red Miller at Denver was the best at getting a team up.
Q. Was there a letdown when your playing days were over?
A. Not for me. I was ready to quit sooner. Football is a journey, not a destination. I’m now making commercials and a movie and working on a TV series for seven months.
And I’m willing to make appearances at benefits to raise money for any worthwhile cause at no charge. I know people prefer to see active players, but I’m willing, any time my schedule permits, if anybody wants me.
