Former NFL star Allen Aldridge has died at age 52. No cause has yet been publicized, but the University of Houston confirmed his death on social media. In a tweet, the Houston Cougars stated, “Houston Football mourns the loss of decorated Cougar and former NFL standout Allen Aldridge.” Aldridge played for the Cougars during his college years before joining the NFL in 1994 with the Denver Broncos.
Mr. Aldridge played with the Broncos until 1997 and started as a middle linebacker in Super Bowl XXXII against the Green Bay Packers. In 1998, he moved to the Detroit Lions, where he remained until 2001. He started 59 out of 64 games and recorded 237 tackles during that period. After retiring from professional play, he became head coach at Fort Bend Bush High School in Richmond, Texas, in 2008.
The Fort Bend Bush interim coach, Javian Thornton, said the star will be sorely missed in Houston. “He is bigger than life. Everybody loved him,” he said.
In a 2022 interview, Aldridge described his life growing up and his family as “full of educators.” Explaining how he had always wanted to teach high school football, he said the best part of the job was learning how football helped his students become better people by instilling values of hard work and dedication. The coach declared that the words he has carried with him throughout his life and career were the motto of his old high school. “Class and character,” Aldridge stated, will take people “far in life.”
Tributes to Mr. Aldridge appeared on social media as news of his death spread. The Denver Broncos issued a statement saying the 52-year-old had a positive impact on the lives of thousands of young people, and “his positivity was evident among players, coaches, and colleagues.” His cousin, Yolonda Sneed, stated that he was like a brother to her, and she traveled with him throughout his career. “I know he loves us just as much as we love him,” she added. His aunt, Vivien Sneed, simply stated, “We were very proud of him.”
