Lyle Alzado was a bearded and curly-haired defensive lineman for the Broncos, Browns, and Raiders who in the 1970s and 80s was among the NFL’s most fiery and intimidating players. Growing up in a tough Brooklyn neighborhood that was the birthplace of Mike Tyson decades later, Alzado spent time in jail, was stabbed, and regularly got into street fights (“A lot of street fights,” he once said nostalgically.) He grew to 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds and in 1971 became a fourth round draft pick of Denver. Admittedly not a great athlete, the short-tempered Alzado was a throwback – “a 1950 guy playing in the 70s and 80s,” a coach once said of him – who made two Pro Bowls based on his toughness, nastiness, and strength. “I don’t think there’s a person on this earth that can kick my ass,” Alzado once said. After being traded twice (the first time he felt betrayed, the second time embarrassed) Alzado landed with the Raiders, where, off-the-field, he spent considerable time visiting with sick kids at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. After winning the Super Bowl with the Raiders in January 1984, Alzado cried in joy. In 1992, at age 43, Alzado died of brain cancer, which he had attributed to his use of performance-enhancing drugs, including steroids.