Jeff Alm
Jeffrey Lawrence Alm (March 31, 1968 – December 14, 1993) was an American football player who played defensive tackle for the Houston Oilers of the National Football League. He played college football at Notre Dame.
 Alm during his college career at Notre Dame | |||||||||
| No. 76 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | March 31, 1968 New York City | ||||||||
| Died: | December 14, 1993 (aged 25) Houston, Texas | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 273 lb (124 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Carl Sandburg (Orland Park, Illinois) | ||||||||
| College: | Notre Dame | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1990 / Round: 2 / Pick: 41 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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A depth player for the Oilers and former All-American, Alm made national headlines for his suicide following a car accident that killed his best friend, caused by driving under the influence. His death was one of several incidents in a turmoil-filled season for the Oilers franchise.
Early life and college career
Born in New York City, Alm grew up in Orland Park, Illinois, a wealthy suburb of Chicago. He had three siblings and was raised by his mother and stepfather after his biological parents divorced. Alm played for the Carl Sandburg High School football team, earning all-state honors. During his junior year, he met Sean P. Lynch, a transfer student, while playing on the football field together. Alm and Lynch eventually became best friends despite their differences in both personality and stature and were inseparable. As Alm's mother, Betty, described: "I always described them as Mutt and Jeff. Sean was so little. They looked so funny together."[1]
Alm eventually earned a football scholarship to Notre Dame. Alm was described by his teammates and friends as introspective and intellectual, completing a degree in marketing. He was praised for his work ethic by teammates and was named a second-team All-American during his senior year.[1]
Professional career
Alm was selected by the Houston Oilers with their second-round pick in the 1990 NFL Draft.[2] Throughout his career, Alm felt lonely in Houston and kept in touch with a handful of close friends from home and college, including Lynch. His final year was marred by a contract holdout and injury.[1]
Car accident and subsequent suicide
According to a witness, while Lynch was visiting Alm, the pair had dinner at a Houston-area steakhouse on December 13, 1993. At 2:45 a.m. on the following day, Alm, who was speeding, lost control of his 1993 Cadillac Eldorado heading south on Interstate 610 southbound at the 59 North exit ramp and Lynch was thrown out of the car because the convertible top was down. After the crash, Alm ran across the ramp and looked down an embankment towards the Southwest Freeway, discovering that his boyhood friend had been thrown to his death 30 feet below. Apparently distraught by his best friend's death, Alm took out a pistol-grip shotgun, fired two shots into the air, and then shot himself in the head.
Alm had made a frantic 911 call to summon help after the car crash prior to his suicide. Alm shouted "Sean are you all right?" at the beginning of the call. In the ensuing moments, he tries to tell the operator the location of the accident."Yes, I had an accident on, uh," Alm said. "I had an accident on 59, uh, on 59 north. We're at . . . 59 north. Loop, uh, 610. I have a buddy dying!"[3]
Toxicology reports have stated that Alm had a blood alcohol-level of .14, over the .10 legal limit. Lynch's blood-alcohol level was .30. Alm was also taking the prescription barbiturate, Fiorinal, commonly prescribed for tension headaches. According to the report by Joseph A. Jachimczyk, Chief Medical Examiner for Harris County, the barbiturate level was within therapeutic range.[4]
References
- Tritsch, Shane; Mogharei, Phoebe (August 20, 2019) [First published in August 1994 as "I Have a Buddy Dying"]. "From the Vault: The Night Jeff Alm Died". Chicago Magazine. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
- "OILER APPARENTLY COMMITS SUICIDE AFTER CAR CRASH". Deseret News. 1993-12-14. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
- Verhovek, Sam Howe (December 15, 1993). "PRO FOOTBALL; A Friend Dies, and Oiler Kills Himself". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 1, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
- "Officials Say Alm Was Intoxicated" Archived 2007-12-10 at the Wayback Machine The New York Times. January 6, 1994