College football hall of famer and Chargers hero Woodrow Lowe dead at 71

Woodrow Lowe, an 11-year NFL veteran who was a three-time All-American at college level with Alabama, has died at the age of 71.

His brother Eddie, mayor of Phenix City in Alabama, confirmed the news of his passing, telling AL.Com: 'Woodrow was a great older brother.

'He pushed me, not just in football, but in life. He was pushed himself, and he passed that down to me. He was a good person, a very good person. He loved people and gave of himself his entire life. He lived a good life.'

AL reports that Lowe passed away from a 'lengthy illness' but no further details were immediately available.

A linebacker, Lowe was one of the best players in the era of famed coach Bear Bryant and was part of the national championship winning 1973 team.

He spent his entire NFL career with the San Diego Chargers, who drafted him in 1976 in the fifth round.

Now the Los Angeles Chargers, the organization paid tribute to Lowe with a post on social media on Thursday afternoon, captioning a picture of him playing with the team: 'Sending love to the Lowe family'.

Speaking about his life in football in 2015 to AL.Com, Lowe said: 'I didn’t make a lot of money, not like they do now in the NFL.

'It wasn’t as spectacular as it is as far as the money and the media and the coverage that it gets now. 

'The main thing is it’s still football. It’s about teamwork. Football really is the greatest game that I know of because it takes teamwork.'

After he retired in 1986, he had spells as a coach with the Las Vegas Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs.