Keith McCants dies at 53: Police investigating after former NFL first-round pick found dead in Florida

Former NFL linebacker Keith McCants was discovered lifeless on Thursday morning in Florida after police responded to a name in St. Petersburg. The previous Buccaneers first-round decide was 53 years previous. 

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Workplace told WFLA.com that they are investigating the circumstances surrounding McCants’ dying. In accordance to The Athletic, authorities imagine that McCants’ dying was brought on by a drug overdose. 

“It seems it was a drug overdose, however we’re awaiting affirmation from the medical expert’s workplace,” sheriff’s spokesperson Amanda Sinni stated. “That is nonetheless an open investigation.”

McCants hit exhausting occasions after his profession and was even featured in an ESPN “30 for 30” episode in 2012 about gamers who went broke after their enjoying profession. Over the previous decade, McCants spoke overtly about his abuse of medication and painkillers. 

“Earlier than [my career was] over with I used to be consuming over 183 tablets every week, not understanding the consequences it had on my liver or my kidneys,” McCants told Vice Sports in 2015. “Or, extra importantly, creating a cut up character with violent tendencies that my household needed to cope with.”

McCants went to varsity at Alabama the place he had a embellished profession that included being named an All-American in 1989. His NFL profession began in 1990 when the Buccaneers made him the fourth general decide within the draft. 

With the excessive decide got here excessive expectations which McCants was by no means actually in a position to dwell as much as. After three years in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers determined to launch him. McCants would play three extra seasons within the NFL with two completely different groups (Oilers and Cardinals). The connection between these two spots is Buddy Ryan. The previous NFL coach was a defensive coordinator for the Oilers in 1993 and when he bought employed because the Cardinals coach in 1994, he introduced McCants with him to Arizona. 

Over the course of his profession, McCants performed in a complete of 88 NFL games with 39 begins. Throughout his time on the sphere, McCants racked up 13.5 sacks and 192 profession tackles. McCants additionally scored one profession landing, which got here in 1995 for the Cardinals.