Alm played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected by Houston in the second round of the 1990 NFL draft.

A backup for most of his career, Alm's death during the 1993 season received national attention when he shot himself following a DUI car crash that killed his friend.

Born in New York City, Alm grew up in Orland Park, Illinois, a southwest suburb of Chicago.

Alm played for the Carl Sandburg High School football team, earning all-state honors.

[2][3] Throughout his career, Alm felt lonely in Houston and kept in touch with a handful of close friends from home and college, including Lynch.

At 2:45 a.m. on the following day, Alm, who was speeding, lost control of his 1993 Cadillac Eldorado heading south on Interstate 610 southbound at the 59 North exit ramp and Lynch, who was not wearing his seatbelt, was ejected from the car.

After the crash, Alm ran across the ramp and looked down an embankment towards the Southwest Freeway, discovering that Lynch had been thrown to his death 30 feet below.

According to the report by Joseph A. Jachimczyk, Chief Medical Examiner for Harris County, the barbiturate level was within therapeutic range.