Former NFL star Jimmy Wilkerson, who most notably played for the Kansas City Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints, has passed away at age 43.
No cause of death was given for Wilkerson, with The Oklahoman reporting it was a heart attack. He played defensive end for nine years in the NFL.
Wilkerson last played in the NFL in 2011 for the Seattle Seahawks and got into college coaching in 2017 at East Texas A&M.
The Saints announced his passing on December 13 earlier this month, honoring the player who only spent one year in New Orleans.
‘He was a great teammate,’ said former Saints linebacker Scott Shanle (2006-12) via news release. ‘He fit into our locker room perfect. He was only here for a year but we were talking about it on our group chat, and everybody remembered Jimmy. He was just a standup dude.’
His one season in New Orleans, 2010, was the year after the team won the Super Bowl over a Peyton Manning-led Colts team.
Wilkerson was a Texas high school football star before playing at Oklahoma. He was drafted in the sixth round by the Chiefs in 2003.
In between his stints with Kansas City and New Orleans, Wilkerson spent two years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Wilkerson played in 119 career NFL games, with 21 starts and 14 sacks.
Wilkerson was a high school football coach in Oklahoma at the time of his passing.
‘Friday morning, a few hours before the Titans were scheduled to have their final practice and walk-through before Saturday’s title game, Jimmy was at home when a call went out to 911. By the time paramedics got there, he had no pulse,’ per The Oklahoman.
