Keith McCants, the former NFL and Alabama star, was found dead early Thursday morning in his St. Petersburg home. He was 53 years old.
A Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson confirmed to AL.com on Thursday it is conducting a police investigation after responding to a call at 5:10 a.m. local time.
“Duputies responded there, went inside and it was an obvious death,” the spokesperson told AL.com. “There was no sign of life. He was pronounced deceased. As of this time, it appears to be a drug overdose.”
There were multiple people living in the home, and the call to authorities was made by one of the residents.
The medical examiner’s office will investigate the official cause of death.
“I talked to him all the time. Nothing was out of the ordinary,” McCants close friend and St. Petersburg city councilman Robert Blackmon shared with AL.com from Florida. Blackmon added he talked to McCants last week and had lunch with him a week before that.
19 Dec 1992: KEITH MCCANTS OF THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS DURING A BUCCANEERS V 49ERS GAME IN SAN FRANCISCO.Getty Images
In 1990, McCants - an Mobile, Alabama native - went No. 4 in the NFL draft to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following an All-America career at Alabama.
McCants endured addiction, depression, homelessness, financial ruin and early-onset dementia since leaving the NFL in 1995 — and says he once attempted suicide.
“He was just such a good guy,” an emotional Blackmon explained. “He suffered a lot in his life, but he never stopped caring about others.”
McCants played only six seasons in the NFL with three different teams. In 88 games as a pro (39 of them starts), he totaled 192 tackles and 13.5 sacks.
For all the success on the field, his life off the field turned into a story of redemption. In 2012, he was featured in the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “Broke,” in which he detailed the financial problems he’s endured since his NFL career ended.
McCants had been arrested a number of times on mostly drug-related charges, including as recently as June of 2018. He was also homeless for more than two years.
15 Oct 1988: Keith McCants of the Alabama Crimson Tide runs down the field during a game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. Alabama won the game 28-20.Getty Images
Through it all, he made it a mission to make sure his tale was told as a warning for others.
“Keith always wanted his story out there,” Blackmon said. “He wanted other to benefit from the adversity he faced. I just loved him so much. I just don’t know what to say.”
As a senior in 1986 at Mobile’s Murphy High School, McCants had 130 tackles and three interceptions. He had a huge year at Alabama in 1989 with 119 tackles — including 16 against Tennessee and 18 each against LSU and Auburn.
Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.