Orlando Thomas Dies - Former Minnesota Vikings safety Orlando Thomas has died after a long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Orlando Thomas dies at the age of 42. The player spent about seven seasons - all his NFL career - with the Vikings after earning an All-Pro selection as a rookie in 1995.
"Nobody's ever fought a battle like Orlando fought, with so much dignity-I never saw anything like it," Orlando's agent Mark Bartelstein said about the players battle with ALS.
"[Orlando Thomas] never had a sense of self pity, never felt sorry for himself, he always worried about everyone else. He was just the most incredible person I've ever been around," Bartelstein said.
Orlando Thomas dies at a time the Vikings are struggling having won only 4 of their 9 games this season.The death of the Vikings veteran has allegedly saddened the team, according to a press release from the Vikings.
"Orlando was an outstanding player for the Vikings for seven years, but more importantly, he represented the franchise and the state of Minnesota with the utmost diginty and class. While his outgong personality made him a favorite among is teammates, Orlando's involvement in the community made him a favorite out of Winter Park," the statement said.
Orlando Thomas was diagnosed with ALS in 2004. This disease has afflicted several other NFL players. Researchers say the repeated hits to the head that players recieve is one of possible explanations for this trend.
Public awareness about this degenarative disease peaked as the famous 'Ice Bucket Challenge' fundrasing campaign went viral.
As a rookie, Orlando Thomas made nine inceptions and 41 solo tackles, despite only starting 11 games for the Vikings. As a 29 years old vet, he retired from the sport with an enviable record of 350 solo tackles, 22 interceptions in 98 career games (82 starts).
'Orlando Thomas dies' has been one of the most discussed topics on the media this week. Former teammates and fans have sent their condolences to his family, others have taken to social media to pay tribute to the player.
