Former NFL player Orlando Thomas died in Louisiana on Monday after succumbing to Lou Gehrig’s Disease, his agent told Bloomberg.
The 42-year-old former Minnesota Vikings safety had revealed in 2007 that he was battling the disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and named after the former New York Yankees star who died of it in 1941.
“If there was ever a test to strip your fight, courage and toughness and make you wallow in self-pity, this would be the disease and yet he was so incredible in his fight and never once made it about him,” said Thomas’ agent Mark Bartelstein.
Thomas spent seven seasons with the Vikings after joining as a second round draft pick in 1995, and notched up 22 interceptions during his career before retiring in 2001.
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Write to Rishi Iyengar at rishi.iyengar@timeasia.com