The former NFL -defensive back Matt Stevens has died, his family announced. He was 51.
According to an obituary, Stevens died on March 20. A cause of death was not immediately delivered.
“It is with great sadness that we advertise the adopted by Matthew Stevens 51 years, loved son and father,” said the obituary.
Stevens had lived in Durham, North Carolina since retiring from football in 2003.
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Matt Stevens, #26 of Houston Texans, in position during an NFL football match against Washington Redskins on December 22, 2002 at FedExfield in Landover, Maryland. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Stevens rose to football status in the Appalachian State, where he became a two-time allamerican. He is a member of the App State Athletics Hall of Fame member Matt Stevens.
The football program expressed compassion for Stevens’ dear.
The Buffalo calculations chose Stevens in the third round of 1996 NFL draft. He recorded a career high six-season upbreds in 1999 when he played for Washington.
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Stevens played for New England Patriots in 2001. He was a member of Patriots Super Bowl XXXVI -winning team. Patriots ’20 -17 victory over Rams marked the first Super Bowl title in the history of franchise and started New England’s dynasty.
September 23, 2001: Matt Stevens, #26 of New England Patriots, sitting on the bench and breathing oxygen during the game against the New York Jets at Foxboro Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Ezra Shaw/Allsport)
Stevens ultimately had stints with five NFL teams.
Stevens was in a motorcycle accident in 2007 and was paralyzed from the waist and down as a result. Several years later he used special braces that allowed him to regain his ability to walk.
Free Security Matt Stevens, #26 by Houston Texans, looks at during their NFL game against Indianapolis Colts on September 22, 2002 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
A memorial service for Stevens is scheduled for Friday in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Stevens is survived by “His mother, Jean Thillberg, his father Vincent Stevens, his brother Mark Stevens and his children Cassidie and Colin Stevens from Avon by the sea, New Jersey, as well as aunts, uncles and cousin,” according to the obituary.
