Lyle alzado

[CR91]

will he ever be in the HOF?

 

now for those that dont know who alzado is, he was a tremendous pass rusher during the 70s and 80s, but most people only know him for coming out and saying he used steroids.

[BOTT]

No, because he wasn't good enough.

*he was much better than I thought....especially in Denver.

[CR91]

No, because he wasn't good enough.

*he was much better than I thought....especially in Denver.

 

im glad you changed your opinion

[oldunclemark]

I dont think he was a Hall-of-Fame caliber player....great character on and off the field..though

[BOTT]

im glad you changed your opinion

I mostly remembered him late in his career, I didn't realize the success he enjoyed earlier in his career. Pretty impressive.

[backshoulderfade]

This is so bizzare. I was watching the 'A Football Life' episode about him today. He seems like a tortured soul, but ultimately a good man at his very core. He did the right thing in the end but I don't think he can be inducted in light of what he did.

[Carlos Danger]

Dude needs a star on the Hollywood walk of fame, too.

Kids: Don't take steroids...

[theanarchist]

I remember him as a real hot head. Typical Raider of that era. He played with a lot of anger. I would say that he was a player that in the end will be on the bubble of HOF. He was a feared defender in his day no question. Kind of reminds me of a less talented SUH. He gave every drop of effort on every play. I can remember him being mixed up in a number of on field scuffles. He liked to rip off the helmets of opposing offensive linemen. A true NFL legend even if he doesn't make the HOF.

[theanarchist]

No, because he wasn't good enough.

*he was much better than I thought....especially in Denver.

I do see that they give him credit for 112 sacks(that would be unofficial because he played almost his entire career before they officially kept sacks as a stat). So, if he really does have 112 sacks I would say he's good enough for the HOF, especially for that era when QB's didn't drop back 40 times a game.

[Gavin]

He played before I started watching football(My earliest memories of football are the '95-'96 season) but I remember him in Ernest Goes To Camp.

 

As to him being in the HoF I'd say yes because he was taking them in a time where they were not wrong to take I believe and on top of that Im sure he would not be the only player in the HoF now to take steroids. With that said testing is being done now so I'd say if you were caught with steroids in this generation on regardless if you have the numbers to go in the HoF then I don't believe you should go in

 

 

Im also not for Mark McGwire in the HoF, Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro...The list goes on

[NewColtsFan]

He played before I started watching football(My earliest memories of football are the '95-'96 season) but I remember him in Ernest Goes To Camp.

 

As to him being in the HoF I'd say yes because he was taking them in a time where they were not wrong to take I believe and on top of that Im sure he would not be the only player in the HoF now to take steroids. With that said testing is being done now so I'd say if you were caught with steroids in this generation on regardless if you have the numbers to go in the HoF then I don't believe you should go in

 

 

Im also not for Mark McGwire in the HoF, Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro...The list goes on

 

You may be correct on this point,  but I don't think so.     That was baseball that fought so hard to keep PED's as legal to take.  (One of the worst decisions in the history of sports...)

 

Put another way,  the reason I think it was illegal, is that few if anyone would admit to it.    I think they knew it was not acceptable.

[BOTT]

I remember him as a real hot head. Typical Raider of that era. He played with a lot of anger. I would say that he was a player that in the end will be on the bubble of HOF. He was a feared defender in his day no question. Kind of reminds me of a less talented SUH. He gave every drop of effort on every play. I can remember him being mixed up in a number of on field scuffles. He liked to rip off the helmets of opposing offensive linemen. A true NFL legend even if he doesn't make the HOF.

Yeah, that why I edited my original post. I didnt realize he put up those kind of numbers. I remembered him as a player who had a couple good yrs and flamed out. I was wrong.

[CR91]

He played before I started watching football(My earliest memories of football are the '95-'96 season) but I remember him in Ernest Goes To Camp.

 

As to him being in the HoF I'd say yes because he was taking them in a time where they were not wrong to take I believe and on top of that Im sure he would not be the only player in the HoF now to take steroids. With that said testing is being done now so I'd say if you were caught with steroids in this generation on regardless if you have the numbers to go in the HoF then I don't believe you should go in

 

 

Im also not for Mark McGwire in the HoF, Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro...The list goes on

 

baseball steroid use is a whole different thread

[Gavin]

You may be correct on this point,  but I don't think so.     That was baseball that fought so hard to keep PED's as legal to take.  (One of the worst decisions in the history of sports...)

 

Put another way,  the reason I think it was illegal, is that few if anyone would admit to it.    I think they knew it was not acceptable.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steroid_use_in_American_football

 

I cant speak to the accuracy of this but whoever did this article states the NFL started testing in 1987 for PED's but had been an issue since the 1950's especially in the NFL. Alzado retired in '85.

[IndySouthsider]

Except the steroids didn't cause the tumor.

[theanarchist]

Yeah, that why I edited my original post. I didnt realize he put up those kind of numbers. I remembered him as a player who had a couple good yrs and flamed out. I was wrong.

Alzado is an interesting case for the HOF. I don't think his admitted steroid use should have anything to do with it. Howie Long is in the HOF and has credit for like 92 sacks. Alzado was a flamboyant personality and anyone that watched the NFL in that era knew who he was. I kind of compare him to a professional wrestler who is a "villain" because you loved to hate him but you had to respect his skills.

[NewColtsFan]

Except the steroids didn't cause the tumor.

 

And you know this.....      how?

 

For what it's worth,  in his NFL Films profile,  Alzado says he believed his tumor was brought on by his steroid use.

[NewColtsFan]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steroid_use_in_American_football

 

I cant speak to the accuracy of this but whoever did this article states the NFL started testing in 1987 for PED's but had been an issue since the 1950's especially in the NFL. Alzado retired in '85.

 

Thanks.....     nice find.      Appreciate it.

[theanarchist]

Except the steroids didn't cause the tumor.

Ya, at the time most people took it as gospel that it did. Since that time there has been some research done to indicate that more likely than not steroids didn't cause the tumor.

[theanarchist]

And you know this.....      how?

 

For what it's worth,  in his NFL Films profile,  Alzado says he believed his tumor was brought on by his steroid use.

He did believe that but there was no way to prove that it was caused by it at that time. Since that time there has been some experts who have more knowledge about steroid use now that say that most likely the steroids did not cause the tumor as they have been found not to be cancer causing agents.