Alabama soccer legend Woodrow Lowe died after a prolonged battle with an sickness, his household confirmed. He was 71.
Lowe was a Faculty Soccer Corridor of Fame participant who starred for the Crimson Tide from 1972-75. The linebacker was one of many best gamers to excel beneath the tutelage of coach Bear Bryant, and he hauled in quite a few accolades all through an illustrious profession. Lowe was a three-time first-team All-American and obtained a consensus nod in 1974. He stays considered one of two Alabama gamers to haul in first-team All-American picks in three totally different years.
Lowe contributed to 4 nationally outstanding Alabama groups, together with the 1973 squad that received a nationwide championship. Not as soon as in his profession did the Crimson Tide win fewer than 10 video games, and every year Lowe’s squads ranked within the high two of the AP High 25. Alabama additionally received the SEC championship in every of his 4 seasons in this system.
A full 50 years faraway from his closing snap in Tuscaloosa, Lowe’s legacy remains to be very a lot current within the Alabama report books. He stands because the Crimson Tide’s chief in single-season tackles with the 134 stops he recorded in 1973, and he ranks fourth in program historical past in profession tackles with 315.
It took no time in any respect for Lowe, a Phenix Metropolis, Alabama, native, to make an affect with the Crimson Tide. He earned a beginning function in his first yr on campus, making the most of the NCAA’s new rule allowing freshmen to play varsity faculty soccer. Lowe was off to the races from there and shined over the following three seasons, incomes nationwide honors yearly till his departure for the NFL. His 315 profession tackles have been, on the time, a college report.
The San Diego Chargers chosen Lowe with the No. 131 total decide within the 1976 NFL Draft. The fifth-round choice performed 164 video games on the professional stage, earned a Professional Bowl nod in 1981 and was a group captain. The Chargers later named him to their fortieth and fiftieth anniversary groups.
Lowe launched into a training profession on the finish of his time with the Chargers. He served on a number of NFL staffs, making stops with the Los Angeles Raiders and Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, and ultimately returned to his hometown to grow to be a highschool assistant at his alma mater, Central. He then held head teaching positions over 9 years at Selma, Smiths Station and Central.
