Whenever a pro athlete undergoes a surgical procedure, the operation invariably is described as a success. For former NFL fullback Kenyon Cotton, the outcome couldn’t have been any worse.
Cotton has died, reportedly after surgery to repair a torn Achilles’ tendon. Following last week’s outpatient procedure, he returned to the hospital because he was having trouble breathing. Doctors placed him into a medically-induced coma to assess the situation.
“From what I’m told, when he came out of the coma, he had a series of strokes back to back,” Cotton’s younger cousin, Kenyon Allen, told the Bossier (La.) Press-Tribune, via Aaron Wilson of NFP. “He had been on life support the entire time he was in the hospital.”
Cotton, 36, played two years for the Ravens, in 1997 and 1998.
Cotton is survived by two sons, age 13 and 9. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and teammates.