the former football linebacker keith mccants is found dead of a suspected overdose in his florida home
Former NFL linebacker Keith McCants, 53, was found dead in a Florida home on Thursday after a suspected drug overdose.
Pinellas County Sheriff's deputies responded to the St. Petersburg residence after receiving reports of an unresponsive man. McCants was declared dead at the scene.
Investigators believe McCants died of an overdose, however they are still waiting for confirmation from the coroner's office.
'It appears it was a drug overdose, but we are awaiting confirmation from the medical examiner's office,' sheriff's spokesperson Amanda Sinni said. 'This is still an open investigation.'
McCants, who was arrested several times for possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia over the years, had a support team of loved ones who had been trying to turn his life around since 2010.
Former NFL linebacker Keith McCants, 53, (photographed above in 2009) was found dead in a Florida home on Thursday after a suspected drug overdose
McCants, who was the fourth overall pick in the first round of the 1990 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, had been arrested several times for possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia over the years
His longtime friend, St. Petersburg mayoral candidate Robert Blackmon said a team of loved ones had been actively trying to help McCants turn his life around since 2010
'In December of 2010, we set out to try to save his life. This morning, we lost that battle,' his longtime friend, St. Petersburg mayoral candidate Robert Blackmon said in a heartfelt Facebook post on Thursday.
'We began to talk about his future again. The next 20 years. Buying a boat. His signature grin was back. But for every battle I could help him fight, there were others he had to face alone.'
Blackmon also noted that following his hip replacement last May, McCants had become a 'changed man'.
'He could walk again. His voice had changed, the monotone replaced with inflection. I would occasionally forget the names of his former teammates, media personalities. And he had started to remind ME a completely different pattern from years before,' he wrote.
Jail records show that McCants had been arrested in Florida at least nine times since 2010.
In 2018 he was arrested on a felony cocaine charge - the fourth time he been charged with possession of the substance - the Tampa Bay Times reported following the incident. He was also charged with driving with a suspended or revoked license that same year.
McCants was arrested on cocaine possession charges in 2010, 2011 and 2014. He served jail time and was put on probation. He was arrested on battery charges in 2016. According to the newspaper, he was also arrested in the Tampa Bay area on outstanding warrants from Alabama in 2011 and 2013.
Blackmon said McCants had 'began to talk about his future again' and seemingly was a 'changed man' after a recent hip surgery
The former Alabama Crimson Tide player (pictured above in Oct. 1988) was arrested in Florida at least nine times since 2010, according to jail records
In addition to his battle with drugs, McCants also had financial troubles, which were detailed in 2012 in an ESPN documentary titled 'Broke,' about former professional players who went through bankruptcy and other money difficulties.
McCants was the fourth overall pick in the first round of the 1990 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was offered a $7.4million contract and one of the largest-ever signing bonuses offered to a rookie defender.
The linebacker, who became a millionaire over night, reportedly faced money struggles right away
'When I had all that money, money destroyed everything around me that I loved," McCants told Florida Today in 2015. 'I lost everything.'
He claimed he 'gave it all away' to 'anybody who asked'. He also made several bad investments.
McCants played for three seasons in Tampa, followed by stints with the then-Houston Oilers and Arizona Cardinals before his football career ended in 1995.
In his NFL career, he played in 88 games and recorded 192 tackles, 13.5 quarterback sacks and a single interception he returned for a 46-yard touchdown with the Cardinals.
After retiring from football, McCants became the first Black marine police officer in Alabama at the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
The Mobile, Alabama, native also earned All-America honors as a college player at the University of Alabama.
McCants was arrested on cocaine possession charges in 2010, 2011 and 2014. He served jail time and was put on probation. He was arrested on battery charges in 2016. According to the newspaper, he was also arrested in the Tampa Bay area on outstanding warrants from Alabama in 2011 and 2013
Blackmon (pictured besides McCants) says the former athlete will be greatly missed and that Keith 'meant everything' to him