Keith McCants dies at 53

KEITH MCCANTS
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Former Buccaneers first-round pick Keith McCants has died at the age of 53.

The Pinellas County Sherrif’s office and Medical Examiner’s office confirmed to Bay News 9 in St. Petersburg, Florida that they are investigating the circumstances of McCants’ death after he was found dead on Thursday

McCants was the fourth overall pick of the 1990 draft after starring at Alabama in college, but he never found the same success at the professional level. He spent the first three years of his career in Tampa and then spent time with the Oilers and Cardinals before his career ended in 1995. He struggled on many fronts after leaving the NFL and was featured on the ESPN 30 for 30 film Broke about professional athletes who experience financial trouble after their playing days are over.

Our condolences go out to McCants’ family, friends, and loved ones on their loss.

6 responses to “Keith McCants dies at 53

  1. You hate to see stuff like this: still young and in combination with hard financial times. Makes you ponder the mental health piece of this game, regardless of what happened.

  2. McCants was such a beast in college. He was supposed to anchor the Bucs defense for years, but it just didn’t materialize. McCants won’t be forgotten. May he RIP.

  3. I remember sitting in my car one night in early 1990 listening to Jerry Ball being interviewed on local sports radio, they asked him who the Lions should draft with their 1st round pick (4th overall) and Ball said “McCants!” Of course Keith was off the board before the Lions picked. The Bucs always had a bloodline of strong defense, from Lee Roy Selmon to Hugh Green to McCants. Unfortunately McCants never became a great pro player. After he left football, he struggled to survive. Condolences to his family for their loss.

  4. What a shame. It’s being reported he died of a drug over dose. So many people have had their lives destroyed by drugs. It always makes me even sadder when I hear this.
    R.I.P. Keith, your struggles are now over.

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