Former Minnesota Vikings star Orlando Thomas has died after battling ALS. He was 42.
The defensive back, who led the NFL in interceptions in 1995, revealed he was battling the disease in 2007, three years after he first began exhibiting symptoms.
Thomas was a 2nd round pick in the ’95 draft and was a key player on the 1998 Vikings team that went 15-1 and went to the NFC championship. He retired in 2001.
According to TMZ, Orlando’s agent Mark Bartelstein issued a statement saying, “Nobody’s ever fought a battle like Orlando fought, with so much dignity — I never saw anything like it. It’s just incredible.”
Bartelstein added, “He never had a sense of self pity, never felt sorry for himself, he was always worried about everyone else. He was just the most incredible person I’ve ever been around.”
Like BlackAmericaWeb.com on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.
(Photo Source: Minnesota Vikings Twitter)
