The year Lynwood Alford was in 9th grade, both his football and basketball teams went undefeated, and that sparked a fire within him to continue to strive for perfection. In high school, Coach Don Yannessa changed Lynwood's position. As a junior, Lynwood became a starter at both tight end and outside linebacker. He was 3rd Team All-State on an 8-2 Quips club. As a senior, Aliquippa finished as the WPIAL runner-up with a 12-1 slate, and Lynwood, now an inside linebacker, was 1st Team All-Conference and All-State and 3rd Team All-American. He was selected to play in the Pennsylvania Big 33 Game, but sat out with a knee injury.

Lynwood signed to play at Michigan State, but academics sent him instead to Coffeyville Community College in Kansas, where he was converted into an offensive right guard on a team that played for the JUCO National Championship.

Lynwood was heavily recruited by the top schools in the nation and committed to Syracuse. He was red-shirted during his first season with the Orange, but got playing time as an outside linebacker during his junior season. He was a starter at the beginning of his senior year and projected to be a middle-round pick in the NFL Draft. He had nine tackles and 3.5 sacks in the first game against Mississippi State, but dislocated his shoulder. It happened again when the Orange played Navy. During his career at Syracuse, Lynwood snared three interceptions and recovered four fumbles. Syracuse played in the Cherry Bowl that year, and, though he petitioned the NCAA for an extra year due to a medical hardship, Lynwood's request was not granted.

Lynwood got healthy and participated in the NFL's Pro Day in 1986, but teams were apparently concerned with his injuries. He worked out, graduated from Syracuse's School of Human Development, and waited for an opportunity, which arrived when he signed as a free agent with the New York Jets in 1987. He played in three games for New York before being put on injured reserve and then released.

Lynwood returned home to work with youth at the former Allencrest Juvenile Facility and for the Beaver County Sherriff's Department. He started coaching high school football at his alma mater under Frank Marocco and stayed with the Quips from 1992 through 1996. He joined Geno DeMarco's coaching staff at Geneva College from 1997 through 2009. In 2011 through 2014, Lynwood was on the coaching staff at Moon High School and later moved to Hopewell, where he currently serves as an assistant.