The former NFL defensive Matt Stevens died, his family announced. He was 51 years old.
According to an obituary, Stevens died on March 20. A cause of death was not immediately provided.
“With great sadness we announced the death of Matthew Stevens, 51, dear son and father,” said the obituary.
Stevens had resided in Durham, North Carolina, since he retired from football in 2003.
CLICK HERE for more sports coverage at Foxnews.com
Matt Stevens, #26 of the Houston Texans, in a position during a NFL football match against the Washington Redskins on December 22, 2002 in Fedexfield in Landover, Maryland. (Mitchell Layton/Getty images)
Stevens went up to football stardom in the state of the Apalaches, where he became all-American twice. He is a member of the member of the Athletics Hall of Athletics of the Matt Stevens App.
The football program expressed condolences to Stevens’ loved ones.
The Buffalo Bills selected Stevens in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He recorded six regular season interceptions in 1999 when he played for Washington.
Kansas’s legendary announcer, Bob Davis, dies a few days after his wife
Stevens played for the New England Patriots in 2001. He was a member of the winning team of the Super Bowl XXXVI of the Patriots. The 20-17 victory of the Patriots over the Rams marked the first Super Bowl title in the history of the franchise and began the New England dynasty.
September 23, 2001: Matt Stevens, #26 of the New England patriots, sits on the bank and breathes oxygen during the game against New York Jets at the Foxboro stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Ezra Shaw/Allsport)
Stevens finally had periods with five NFL teams.
Stevens had a motorcycle accident in 2007 and was paralyzed from the waist down as a result. Several years later, he used special orthopedic devices that allowed him to recover his ability to walk.
Free security Matt Stevens, #26 of the Houston Texans, observes during his NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts on September 22, 2002, in Reliant Stadium in Houston, Tx. (Ronald Martinez/Getty images)
A commemorative service for Stevens is scheduled for Friday at Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Stevens survives “his mother, Jean Thillberg, his father Vincent Stevens, his brother Mark Stevens and his children Cassidie and Colin Stevens de Avon by the sea, New Jersey, as well as aunts, uncles and cousins,” according to the obituary.
