Former NFL player Keith McCants was tragically found deceased Thursday at his home in Florida after a suspected drug overdose, investigators said. He was only 53-years-old.
Pinellas County sheriff’s deputies arrived at McCants’ St. Petersburg home and found him dead inside, according to Bay9 News. The sheriff’s office suspect McCants died from an apparent drug overdose, according to The Athletic.
“It appears it was a drug overdose, but we are awaiting confirmation from the medical examiner’s office,” sheriff’s spokesperson Amanda Sinni said. “This is still an open investigation.”
His longtime friend, St. Petersburg mayoral candidate Robert Blackmon, said Mccants decided back in 2010 to turn his life around.
“This morning, we lost that battle,” Blackmon said in a Facebook post.
“We began to talk about his future again. The next 20 years. Buying a boat. His signature grin was back. But for every battle I could help him fight, there were others he had to face alone,” Blackmon said.
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His financial issues were talked in 2012 in an ESPN documentary titled “Broke,” about former professional players who went through bankruptcy and other money difficulties.
The fourth overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft out of Alabama played three seasons for the Buccaneers and piled up 156 tackles and 12 sacks with the team.
He also played for the Houston Oilers and Arizona Cardinals, but his career came to an end after the 1995 season.
In 88 total games played, Mccants racked up 192 tackles and had 13.5 sacks.
