Former Vikings safety Orlando Thomas dies at 42 of ALS
According to ESPN, former Minnesota Vikings safety Orlando Thomas has died at the age of 42. He suffered from ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), aka Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Thomas played in the NFL from 1995 to 2001, collecting 22 interceptions — nine during that rookie season — in 98 career games, all with the Vikings.
“Nobody’s ever fought a battle like Orlando fought, with so much dignity — I never saw anything like it,” Thomas’ agent, Mark Bartelstein, told Schefter on Monday. “It’s just incredible. 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.”
Thomas revealed in 2007 that he had ALS after he started experiencing symptoms about three years earlier. In interviews, Thomas always tried to find the blessings in life.
His death is just the latest in the long line of ALS-related ailments among former NFL players. We raised the connection between ALS and playing in the NFL when former special-teams ace Tim Shaw announced he was suffering from the disease back in August, and it certainly will remain a topic of concern now with the announcement of Thomas’ death at such a young age.
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm
