Former NFL and Appalachian State safety Matt Stevens has died at the age of 51.
Stevens was selected by the Bills in the third round of the 1996 draft as a safety, playing eight years in the league and won a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2001.
In 2007, Stevens was paralyzed from the waist down in a motorcycle accident where he broke his spinal cord.
Four years later, in 2011, Stevens was able to move around again thanks to special leg braces that were made for him.
No cause of death was immediately given.
Stevens was a star at Appalachian State, where he was a two-time All-American and helped lead the team to the Southern Conference Championship in 1995.
The defensive back played on eight teams during his career, starting with the Bills and also spending time with the Eagles, Redskins, Patriots, and Texans.
In 1999, Stevens had a career year, playing in 15 games and intercepting six passes, just one off the NFL lead.
Born in Chapel Hill, N.C., Stevens appeared in 108 games in his NFL career, amassing 282 tackles, and notably appeared in all three of the Patriots’ playoff games in their magical 2001 playoff run that culminated with a shocking Super Bowl upset of the Rams.
In his spare time, Stevens enjoyed being a competitive shooter.
Stevens attended Chapel Hill High School, where he is in the school’s hall of fame.
He is survived by his mother Jean Thillberg, father, Vincent Stevens, brother, Mark, and his two children Cassidie and Colin of Avon by the Sea, N.J., according to an obituary posted by Walker’s Funeral Home in Chapel Hill.
