Allen Aldridge Jr, Super Bowl winner and football coach, dies age 52

Aldridge, originally from Houston, Texas, died on Sunday evening, though the cause of death has not been disclosed. He was a starter on the 1997 Denver Broncos team that defeated the Green Bay Packers to win Super Bowl XXXII.

During that season's AFC Championship game, Aldridge made a crucial interception against Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart in the third quarter, helping Denver secure a three-point victory. Reflecting on that championship season in a 2019 interview with the Houston Chronicle, Aldridge said: "All your dreams were answered."

Aldridge was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft out of the University of Houston. After four seasons and a Super Bowl win with Denver, he joined the Detroit Lions as a free agent in 1998.

Aldridge started in all but five games over four seasons with the Lions before signing with the newly formed Houston Texans in 2002. However, he chose to retire at the age of 30, after spending only three days in their training camp.

During his NFL career, Aldridge recorded 464 combined tackles, 10.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, and four recoveries. After retiring, he transitioned into coaching, becoming the head coach at George Bush High School in the Fort Bend Independent School District in Texas in 2008.