Former NFL star Jimmy Wilkerson, who played mainly for the Kansas City Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints, has died at the age of 43.
No cause of death was given for Wilkerson The Oklahoman report that it was a heart attack. He played defensive end in the NFL for nine years.
Wilkerson last played in the NFL in 2011 for the Seattle Seahawks and began college coaching at East Texas A&M in 2017.
The Saints announced his passing earlier this month on December 13, honoring the player who spent just one year in New Orleans.
“He was a great teammate,” former Saints linebacker Scott Shanle (2006-2012) said via press release. ‘He fit perfectly into our dressing room. He had only been here a year, but we talked about it in our group chat and everyone remembered Jimmy. He was just a stand-up guy.”
His lone season in New Orleans, 2010, was the year after the team won the Super Bowl against a Peyton Manning-led Colts team.
Former NFL star Jimmy Wilkerson, who played for the Chiefs, has died at the age of 43
Wilkerson last played in the NFL in 2011 for the Seahawks and began college coaching in 2017
Wilkerson was a high school football star in Texas before playing at Oklahoma. He was drafted in the sixth round by the Chiefs in 2003.
Between stints with Kansas City and New Orleans, Wilkerson spent two years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Wilkerson played in 119 NFL games, with 21 starts and 14 sacks.
Wilkerson was a high school football coach in Oklahoma at the time of his death.
“Friday morning, a few hours before the Titans were to have their final practice and walk-through before Saturday’s title game, Jimmy was at home when a call went out to 911. By the time the paramedics got there, he had no pulse,” according to The Oklahoman.