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Woodrow Lowe, Three-Time Alabama All-American and Longtime Chargers Linebacker, Dies at 71

The National Football Foundation says he died at 71 at his Collierville, Tennessee home following a lengthy illness.

Overview

  • Lowe’s death was confirmed by the National Football Foundation and by his brother, Phenix City mayor Eddie Lowe, who said he died Thursday after a lengthy illness.
  • He became one of only two Alabama players to earn first-team All-America honors three times, set the program’s single-season tackles record with 134 in 1973, and finished with 315 career tackles.
  • Drafted by San Diego in 1976, he played 11 NFL seasons with the Chargers, served as a team captain, made the 1981 Pro Bowl, and logged 21 interceptions with four returned for touchdowns.
  • After retiring as a player, he coached with the Raiders and Chiefs before roles in college and high school programs, where he was widely credited as a mentor to generations of athletes.
  • He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2001 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009; a memorial service is being planned in Phenix City, and he is survived by his wife Linda, four children and eight grandchildren.