Denver Broncos Super Bowl winner and Texas high school HC Allen Aldridge unexpectedly passes away at 52

By Aman Sharma

Modified Sep 11, 2024 18:02 GMT

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Allen Aldridge, a former Denver Broncos linebacker and key contributor to their Super Bowl 50 victory, died Sunday night in Houston at the age of 52. The sudden nature of his death, which has yet to be fully explained, was reported by the University of Houston, his alma mater, on Monday and later highlighted by Dave Campbell's Texas Football.

Houston mourned the sudden demise of its former linebacker via a post on X, writing:

"Houston Football mourns the loss of decorated Cougar and former NFL standout Allen Aldridge. Our thoughts are with his family, former teammates and the Fort Bend Bush High School community."

Aldridge played eight seasons in the NFL and spent time on both the Broncos and Detroit Lions teams. In Denver’s Super Bowl win in 1997, he played an important part in defense by making five tackles and a sack as the team won 31-24 over the Green Bay Packers.

In total, Aldridge appeared in 128 regular-season NFL games, with 104 starts, amassing 482 tackles, five forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and one interception. He retired in 2002 after briefly joining the Houston Texans during their expansion season.

After retirement, Aldridge turned to coaching and became a high school coach at George Bush High School in Houston, Texas. The Fort Bend ISD community expressed deep sorrow over his death, describing Aldridge as a "gentle giant" with a profound impact on the lives of his players.

"Coach Aldridge was a gentle giant from a family with deep roots in the NFL and the Houston sports community. At Bush High School he was known for his commitment to developing his players into young men," the district said in a statement.

Allen Aldridge: Defensive standout and inspirational coach leaves a lasting legacy

The Denver Broncos tabbed Allen Aldridge in round two of the 1994 NFL draft and stood out during four years with the team. He played 64 games and started in 45 of them.

Aldridge, who became the top starter in the year 1997, had an excellent season, starting fifteen of the sixteen games during the regular season and all four playoff games as the Broncos won their first ever Super Bowl. One of his highlights was in the 1997 AFC championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, when he intercepted a pass in the end zone to maintain Denver's 10-point lead.

Following his NFL career, Allen Aldridge transitioned into coaching. He was the head coach at George Bush High School in Houston, leading the football program from 2008. Former teammate Kenny Perry called Aldridge "one of the most caring individuals."

"Allen, both as a player and later as a coach, was one of the most caring individuals I ever encountered," Perry told The Chronicle. "He was loved by all and was such a great teammate and friend. Our time at Houston kicked off a lifelong friendship I will cherish forever. He impacted so many lives and will be deeply missed by all who knew him."

Under his guidance, the team made the playoffs eight times, with a standout 10-2 season in 2012 marking the school's best record.