Lionel Aldridge

Lionel Aldridge (February 14, 1941 – February 12, 1998) was an American professional football player.

Aldridge was an All-Skyline tackle & co-captain of the Utah State Aggies. He was drafted in 1963 after a standout college career at Utah State. One of the few rookies to start for coach Vince Lombardi, Aldridge enjoyed an eleven-year NFL career. As a Packer, he played a role in three straight NFL Championships (1965-66-67) and in Packer victories in Super Bowls I and II. Traded to the San Diego Chargers, Aldridge played two seasons in San Diego before retiring from professional football in 1973.

After retiring, Aldridge worked as sports analyst in Milwaukee and for Packers radio and NBC until manifesting paranoid schizophrenia in the late 1970s. Homeless for a time in part due to misdiagnosis, he eventually reached a form of equilibrium. He became an advocate for the homeless and the mentally ill until his death in 1998. His advocacy work included serving as a board member for the Mental Health Association of Milwaukee and working as a speaker for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.