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Kevin Johnson, a former NFL defensive lineman who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders in the 1990s, was stabbed to death in Los Angeles, authorities said. He was 55.
Johnson’s body was discovered at a homeless camp on Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office. The cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma to the head and stab wounds, records showed.
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Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith (C) tries to go up and over to score but is stopped at the goal line by Philadelphia Eagles defensive linemen Kurt Gouvea (54) and Kevin Johnson (94) during the first half of their game against Dallas in Philadelphia. (TOM MIHALEK/AFP via Getty Images)
His death was investigated as a homicide. Pakinomist Digital reached out to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for further comment.
“Unfortunately, it appears he was homeless,” Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. Steve De Jong told Newsweek. “Looks like he lived there.”
Johnson’s friends and family mourned him on social media.
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Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Kevin Johnson moves down the field during a game against the Washington Redskins at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC on November 26, 1995. (Otto Greule Jr./Allsport)
He was a standout at Texas Southern before being selected in the fourth round by the New England Patriots in 1993. He never played a down with the Patriots and did not appear in an NFL game until 1995, when he was with the Eagles.
He played 23 games for the Eagles between two seasons. He recorded 43 tackles and seven sacks. He also returned a fumble for a touchdown.
Johnson joined the Raiders in 1997 and had 11 tackles in 15 games.
Kevin Johnson #99 of the Los Angeles Avengers tries to tackle Mike Jones #35 during the Arena Football game against the San Jose Sabercats at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California on June 2, 2001. (Kellie Landis/Allsport)
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The defensive tackle took a chance on Arena Football when his time in the NFL was over. He played on both sides of the ball for the Orlando Predators and helped them to an ArenaBowl championship in 1998. He later played for the Los Angeles Avengers.
