Former Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons defensive back Keion Carpenter slipped and hit his head during a family vacation, and died Thursday morning at age 39, his family announced.
Former Bills, Falcons safety Keion Carpenter dies at age 39
Keion Carpenter started 61 NFL games and finished his career with 14 interceptions.
Photo by Paul Spinelli/Getty Images
Carpenter played six seasons in the NFL, first making his way into the league as an undrafted free agent in 1999 with the Bills. He started 22 games for Buffalo and joined the Falcons in 2002, starting 39 games in three seasons in Atlanta.
In 2003, he fractured two vertebrae during a game and required spinal fusion surgery. He missed the entire 2004 season, but returned to start 15 games in 2005.
Family members say his death was a “freak accident” and Carpenter was in good health, but got hurt while playing with his son.
“They were running to the car when (Carpenter) slipped, fell, hit his head and slipped into a coma. It was just a freak accident,” Carpenter’s cousin Jamila Smith told the Baltimore Sun. “He was always healthy; he went to the doctor, ate well and worked out.”
Prior to his NFL career, Carpenter played college ball at Virginia Tech. His former coach Frank Beamer released a statement Thursday:
Carpenter was the founder of The Carpenter House, a non-profit organization that focuses on development of healthy homes and environments for low income children.
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