His family announced that former NFL defensive back Matt Stevens has passed away. He was 51 years old.
According to the obituaryStevens passed away on March 20th. The cause of death was not immediately provided.
“It is a great sadness to announce that my beloved son and father Matthew Stevens has passed away, 51,” the obituary said.
Stevens has lived in Durham, North Carolina since retiring from football in 2003.
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Matt Stevens, No. 26 of the Houston Texans, is located during an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins on December 22, 2002 at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. (Mitchel Layton/Getty Images)
Stevens rose to Appalachian football stardom, where he went to the US twice. He is a member of App State Athletics Hall of Fame member Matt Stevens.
The football program has expressed sadness to Stephens' loved ones.
The Buffalo Bills selected Stevens in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He recorded a career-high regular-season interception when he played for Washington in 1999.
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Stevens played for the New England Patriot in 2001. He was a member of the Patriot Super Bowl XXXVI winning team. The Patriots' 20-17 victory over the Rams won the first Super Bowl title in franchise history and launched the New England dynasty.
September 23, 2001: New England Patriot No. 26 Matt Stevens sits on the bench during a game against the New York Jets at Foxboro Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts and breathes oxygen. (Ezra Shaw/Allsport)
Stevens ultimately scored a stint with five NFL teams.
Stevens had a motorcycle accident in 2007, resulting in paralysis in his lower back. A few years later, he used a special brace that allowed him to regain his ability to walk.
Matt Stevens of the Houston Texans' No. 26 free safety is focused on during an NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts on September 22, 2002 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Stephens' additional service ceremony is scheduled for Friday in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
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“His mother, Jean Tilberg, his brother Mark Stevens and his children, Cassidy and Colin Stevens, as well as his aunts, uncles and cousins,” said Stevens, “his mother, Jean Tilberg, his brother Mark Stevens and his child, Cassidy Stevens, are alive.”
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