Allert Becomes a Strike Casualty : Charger Linebacker Is Released to Reach 50-Player Limit

Ty Allert more or less expected the bad news, but that didn’t make it any easier.

Allert was one of the Chargers’ starting inside linebackers when the season started. Tuesday, he was out of a job, a casualty of the National Football League players’ strike.

Allert, in his second year from Texas, was released along with replacement wide receiver Danny Greene. In other moves to meet the new 50-player roster limit, the Chargers placed cornerback Lou Brock, defensive end Karl Wilson and replacement guard Dan Rosado on injured reserve. Brock has a groin injury and lymph infection, Wilson a hamstring injury and Rosado a pinched nerve in his neck.

“The other guys (replacement players) were cut in camp,” Allert said Tuesday in a telephone interview. “When that happens, you figure you’re the better player. There’s always some concern when you aren’t there, but I felt that if everybody got a fair share of playing time, I’d be all right. After all, I beat them out in camp.

“But the situation has changed since we got back (from the strike.) I kind of figured it was going to happen, because I hadn’t gotten nearly as much work as I did before the strike.”

Allert, a fourth-round draft choice in 1986, was a backup linebacker as a rookie and was voted the Chargers’ special-teams player of the year. He won a starting job at the start of this season, when Thomas Benson was a holdout.

But Benson returned to the lineup after the first game, and replacement linebackers Mike Humiston, Jeffrey Jackson and Randy Kirk played so well during the strike that they were retained. Humiston is now a regular along with Benson.

Coach Al Saunders said that size had been factor in the decision to cut Allert.

“We need bigger, more physical players inside,” Saunders said.

“I weigh 235, and the guys they kept aren’t much bigger than that,” Allert said.

Humiston, at 245, is the only one of the three who outweighs Allert. Kirk weighs 235 and Jackson 230.

Greene, a second-year man from Washington, never played for the Chargers. He signed before the third and last replacement game, but sat out that game. He was on the inactive list for the two games since the strike ended. He was with the Seattle Seahawks in 1985, once catching three touchdown passes in a game.

“He has potential,” Saunders said. “We’d like to sign him for next year.”

Nine replacement players made the roster. In addition to Humiston, Jackson and Kirk, they were wide receiver Al Williams, offensive tackle Curtis Rouse, defensive ends Joe Phillips and Les Miller, outside linebacker John Taylor and cornerback Elvis Patterson.

In addition, four replacements are on injured reserve--Rosado, nose tackle Blaise Winter, outside linebacker Brian Ingram and inside linebacker Chuck Faucette.

Charger Note

The Chargers gave a tryout Tuesday to wide receiver Eugene Goodlow, who was released by the New Orleans Saints during training camp. He spent four seasons with the Saints, catching 54 passes.