Woodrow Lowe arrived in 1976 as a fifth-round pick out of Alabama after a three-time All-American career under Bear Bryant, and he immediately won the starting right linebacker job as a rookie. He kept that spot for nearly his entire 11-year run in San Diego, starting 151 of his 164 games and missing only one contest. At about 6-foot and 227 pounds, he was a solid run defender who could also drop into coverage, and that ability showed up in 21 interceptions—an unusually high number for a linebacker—four of which he returned for touchdowns.

His best seasons lined up with the Air Coryell years. In 1979, he picked off a career-high five passes and returned two for scores. The next year he became a team captain, a role he held for seven seasons, and he earned Second-Team All-AFC honors while the Chargers reached the AFC Championship Game. He was still productive later on, picking off three passes in both 1984 and 1985 and adding 15 career sacks. He was the kind of linebacker who could hold the edge against the run, then jump routes or sit in a zone and create turnovers when the offense attacked his area. One of the more memorable (and unfortunate) moments of his career came in the 1978 “Holy Roller” game against the Raiders, when he was the defender closing in on Ken Stabler as the controversial fumble-forward play unfolded.

Lowe retired after the 1986 season. Throughout his career with the Chargers, he was one of the steadiest, longest-tenured defenders of that era, finishing with 21 interceptions and a reputation as a durable, reliable starter who rarely missed time.

After his playing days, he was named to both the Chargers’ 40th and 50th Anniversary Teams, and in 2009 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, recognition for the three-time All-American who had spent more than a decade anchoring the Chargers’ linebacking corps.