I had the absolute pleasure of visiting NFL Hall of Famer Lance Alworth and his wife, Laura, at their Del Mar home for a story on life after football.
Laura, Lance and me.
By the end of the visit, I wanted them to adopt me.
They are two of the kindest, funniest, coolest people I’ve met. Generous, sincere and full of life. And after 17 years of marriage, they are still madly, sweetly, amazingly in love with one another. (<— Look at all the adjectives I just used! It's because I can't truly explain how awesome they are. Dammit, there's another one.)
As Lance says about Laura: “She’s my best friend.”
Come ON.
Here’s the story I did for NBC. Lance gets emotional at the end … You can tell how much everything really means to him — football, the struggles, financial trouble, all of it. I love what he said about how he lives his life. Always catching the ball, even if it means getting hit. It’s such a great analogy.
And here’s some behind-the-scenes footage. This is Lance talking about how he got his nickname, Bambi:
And here he is talking about how he doesn’t even play catch with his grandkids. He doesn’t want to pressure them. He was so honest about it:
Hope you guys enjoy these as I much as I enjoyed my visit with the Alworth’s.
And if you’re reading this, Lance and Laura … there’s still time to adopt me.
shenANNIEgans! 
The guy was my hero growing up in balboa stadium and the q; best charger ever, there’s no one who’d go up and get it like he did.
Jim Valenzuela
Thanks for the comment, Jim! So many of his catches were so amazing.
I met Lance at a Charger function and what a neat person he is. There were no cameras, just he and I talking and he’s the real deal. Go Bambi!
I have a wonderful Lance Alworth story, when my husband was in Vietnam, he contacted hepatitis from drinking that horrid water, he was finally sent to a hospital in Japan, while there a group of NFL players came thru visiting, when Mr.Alworth saw that he was from Arkansas he came in and visited with him(the others chose not to) and asked if there was anything he could do for him, he asked him to call me when he returned to the states and let me know he was alright and where he was, he did, I remember the call as if it was yesterday,its been 47 years and I still appreciate him so much, imagine that, he carried my phone number and kept a promise to him, not many had that kind of integrity, would love for him to know I have told my children and grandchildren and anyone else who will listen.
Back when Lance played they weren’t hesitant about using white receivers. Or running backs.
I had the wonderful life changing experience of working for this great man, changed the direction of my life and I will never forget the times we talked and he truly listened and cared. Wonderful human being!
Thank you Lance!
Jeff H.