Lyle Alzado

Burly professional football player noted for his aggressive, hard-hitting style as a defensive lineman on the field, and for an equally tough line of talk ("I don't think there's a man in America who can take me") off the field. Alzado leavened his growling with an occasional touch of humor in his modest film appearances and TV guest spots, but always boldly proclaimed his "hit hard, hit first" approach to sports and showbiz alike. Alzado was diagnosed with brain cancer in the early 1990s and became convinced that his use of steroids and growth hormones for nearly 20 years had caused his illness. He spent his last days, looking tired, drawn, and 120 pounds lighter than his 300-pound peak, warning body-conscious teenagers about the evils of "dream" drugs.