Born in New York City, Alm grew up in Orland Park, Illinois, a wealthy suburb of Chicago. He had three siblings and was raised by his mother and stepfather after his biological parents divorced. Alm played for the Carl Sandburg High Schoolfootball team, earning all-state honors. During his junior year, he met Sean P. Lynch, a transfer student, while playing on the football field together. Alm and Lynch eventually became best friends despite their differences in both personality and stature and were inseparable. As Alm's mother, Betty, described: "I always described them as Mutt and Jeff. Sean was so little. They looked so funny together." Alm eventually earned a football scholarship to Notre Dame. Alm was described by his teammates and friends as introspective and intellectual, completing a degree in marketing. He was praised for his work ethic by teammates and was named a second-team All-American during his senior year.
Professional career
Alm was selected by the Houston Oilers with their second-round pick in the 1990 NFL Draft. Throughout his career, Alm felt lonely in Houston and kept in touch with a handful of close friends from home and college, including Lynch. His final year was marred by a contract holdout and injury.
Car accident and subsequent suicide
According to a witness, while Lynch was visiting Alm, the pair had dinner at a Houston-area steakhouse on December 13, 1993. At 2:45 a.m. on the following day, Alm, who was speeding, lost control of his 1993 Cadillac Eldoradoheading south on Interstate 610 southbound at the 59 North exit ramp and Lynch was thrown out of the car because the convertible top was down. After the crash, Alm ran across the ramp and looked down an embankment towards the Southwest Freeway, discovering that his boyhood friend had been thrown to his death 30 feet below. Apparently distraught by his best friend's death, Alm took out a pistol-grip shotgun, fired two shots into the air, and then shot himself in the head. Alm had made a frantic 911 call to summon help after the car crash prior to his suicide. Alm shouted "Sean are you all right?" at the beginning of the call. In the ensuing moments, he tries to tell the operator the location of the accident."Yes, I had an accident on, uh," Alm said. "I had an accident on 59, uh, on 59 north. We're at... 59 north. Loop, uh, 610. I have a buddy dying!" Toxicology reports have stated that Alm had a blood alcohol-level of.14, over the.10 legal limit. Lynch's blood-alcohol level was.30. Alm was also taking the prescription barbiturate, Fiorinal, commonly prescribed for tension headaches. According to the report by Joseph A. Jachimczyk, Chief Medical Examiner for Harris County, the barbiturate level was within therapeutic range.
