Lance Alworth

• San Diego Chargers (1962-1970)
• Dallas Cowboys (1971, 1972)

• 7 × AFL All-Star Game Selection ( 1963-1969 )
• 7 × All- AFL selection ( 1963-1969 )
• NFL 75th Anniversary All- Time Team
• AFL Player of the Year (1963 )
• AFL All- Time Team
• Jersey number 19 in the locked Chargers
• College Football Hall of Fame (1984 )
• Pro Football Hall of Fame (1978 )
• San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame (1977 )
• San Diego Hall of Champions
• Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame
• University of Arkansas Hall of Fame
• Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame
• Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame (1978 )

Lance Dwight Alworth ( born August 3, 1940 in Houston, Texas, United States), nicknamed " Bambi", is a former American professional American football player. He played as a wide receiver in the American Football League (AFL ) for the San Diego Chargers and the National Football League ( NFL) in the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers.

Youth

Lance Alworth was born in Houston, the son of Parrish and Richard Alworth. His father worked in the oil industry in the company of the U.S. politician Ross S. Sterling and his mother was a teacher. Alworth moved as a child with his family to Hog Chain, Mississippi. He attended Brookhaven High School. In addition to American football, he played baseball and basketball there, but was also active as an athlete. For his athletic achievements, he was honored by his high school several times. Immediately after his graduation he was commissioned by the New York Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates, two teams from the Major League Baseball ( MLB), contract deals. On intervention of his father, who held a degree of sense, Alworth rejected the offers. Even as a 17 year old student he married, which initially difficult for him to study at a college.

Playing career

College career

Alworth wanted to study at the University of Mississippi originally, but was rejected from this college, since he was already married. He therefore joined in 1959 from the University of Arkansas. For the " Arizona Razorbacks ' football team of his college, he ran as a running back, but also came to the defense of the team to use. In his new team also played the later coach of the Dallas Cowboys Barry Switzer. Even in college Alworth was active as a track and field athlete and baseball player. In the years 1959 to 1961, he won with his team the championship in each of the Southeastern Conference. In 1960 he played with his team in the Gator Bowl against the team from the Georgia Institute of Technology and won with 14:7. The following year Alworth lost in the Cotton Bowl Classic against the Duke University 7-6. After the season, he played the College All- Star Game in Hawaii and was selected to the All- American. The following year, 1962, he lost with his team in the Sugar Bowl against the University of Alabama with 10:3. His studies ended Alworth with a business degree.

Professional career

In 1962, Lance Alworth of the San Francisco 49ers was drafted in the first round in second place. The Oakland Raiders of the American Football League attracted him in the second round in ninth place of the AFL Draft, but had no interest in his later commitment and gave the rights to him in exchange for three other players to the San Diego Chargers from. The assistant coach of the Chargers Al Davis offered Alworth to a contract with an annual income of $ 30,000 and this decided to accept the offer. Sid Gillman, coach of the Chargers, sat Alworth, who had switched to the position of a wide receiver, at first only sporadically in his rookie year, but also with a knee injury that Alworth had suffered in training. It was not until the following season in 1963 brought the breakthrough of sporting Alworth. On 20 October 1963, the Chargers were playing against the reigning AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs. Alworth was set by his quarterback Tobin Rote in the game again and again in the limelight. He caught nine passes for a room gain of 232 yards and was able to use two of them touchdowns. The Chiefs left with a 38:17 defeat the square and Alworth had made it clear attention. After the end of the regular season, the Chargers had won eleven of 14 games, but the eleven caught by Alworth touchdown passes contributed significantly. The move into the AFL Championship Game was the consequence. Opponents in the final were the Boston Patriots, who had never had a chance of victory in their defeat 51:10. Alworth contributed a touchdown in the victory of his team. 1964 Alworth caught in the current season, 13 touchdown passes and turned so that the AFL- Jahresbestleistung on. This should also succeed in the next two years. In the same year he moved with the Chargers against the Buffalo Bills for the second time in the AFL final one. Due to an injury he could not be used and the Chargers lost with 20:7 in the game. In 1965 Alworth moved for the third time in a row with the Chargers in the championship game. But this time he was able to accumulate, was not able to prevent the 23:0 loss to the Bills. Although Lance Alworth presented in the next few years again and again by record performances his skills, as he scored in 1966 and 1968, the AFL Jahresbestleistungen for the space gain achieved by pass -catcher, he should no longer move into the final game with the Chargers.

The year 1970 was not good for Lance Alworth. He struggled throughout the season with injuries, were added personal problems ( he had divorced his first wife in 1969 ). The difficulties took their toll and he began during the regular season just 35 balls. The Chargers Alworth decided in exchange for three players on the Dallas Cowboys leave.

For Alworth that seemed at first to be a bad decision. The Cowboys were better known for their good defense, than for their offense. The motto of their coach Tom Landry was the ball as long as possible to control, which meant that the passing game was not always in the foreground. Alworth was therefore used in Dallas from the season 1971 primarily as a blocker and was rarely alluded to by quarterback Craig Morton or his successor in the position of starting quarterback Roger Staubach. However, he would celebrate his greatest triumph with the cowboys. After a record of eleven wins in fourteen games, the team from Texas moved into the play-offs, where you first defeated the Minnesota Vikings at 20:12. In the NFC Championship Game, the Cowboys with 14:3 against the San Francisco 49ers could say, which meant a place in the Super Bowl. Opponent in Super Bowl VI were coached by Don Shula Miami Dolphins. Alworth could use a pass from Staubach to vorentscheidenen 10-0 in the second game district. The Cowboys then left with a 24:3 victory on the pitch. Also in 1972 should Alworth redo nationwide attention. The Cowboys had again qualified for the finals and met in the Divisional play -off game to the San Francisco 49ers. The Texans came early in the game behind, and Alworth managed to shorten for the Cowboys this with a touchdown to 21:13. Ultimately, the Cowboys went with a 30:28 victory from the court, but lost in the championship game against the Washington Redskins with 26:3. Lance Alworth ended after the 1972 season his career.

Off the pitch

Alworth in 1969 divorced from his first wife. He has two children with her. In 1970 he married for the second time. With his second wife he has one child. Two other children died early.

Origin of the nickname

Lance Alworth was called by his fellow players "Bambi". The nickname had its origin in a Walt Disney film, and was based on the eponymous comic book. Alworth had the nickname thanks to his big brown eyes and his running style, reminiscent of a deer.

After the career

Alworth founded after his playing career a real estate company that had specialized in commercial real estate. The company went bankrupt in 1976. He now runs a Lagereifirma in California.

Honors

Lance Alworth played seven times in the AFL All-Star Game, the final game of the best players of the season. He was seven times elected to the All- AFL. In 1963 he was the AFL Player of the Year. He is a member of the NFL 75th Anniversary All- Time Team, in the AFL All- Time Team, in the College Football Hall of Fame, the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame, the San Diego Hall of Champions, in the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame, at the University of Arkansas Hall of Fame and in the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, and in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. As the first player in the AFL he was inducted (1978 ) into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His jersey number 19 is no longer awarded by the San Diego Chargers.