Former Detroit Lion cornerback Stanley Wilson Jr collapsed and died at Metropolitan State Hospital in Los Angeles County this month. Wilson was only 40 and the cause of death is unclear, but Wilson had been in police custody and appeared to have a history of mental health issues. Fox News reports:
Former Detroit Lions cornerback Stanley Wilson Jr. died after collapsing at Metropolitan State Hospital in Los Angeles County this month, TMZ reported Wednesday. He was 40 years old.
He was transferred to the medical facility on Feb. 1, according to the report. He was arrested on vandalism charges in August and had been in police custody since.
He reportedly collapsed and died during intake at the medical facility.
It is unknown if any of the authorities transferring him or at the hospital are responsible in any way. Wilson had been in custody for breaking into a Hollywood home. He was deemed unfit to stand trial and was being admitted the mental health facility. Fox continued:
He was suspected of breaking into a home in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills and raiding the property, according to the report. The suspect also is believed to have taken a bath in the property’s indoor fountain.
Prosecutors said Wilson was declared incompetent to stand trial, which resulted in him being moved to the mental health care facility.
Wilson was the son of former NFL running back Stanley Wilson. Stanley Wilson Sr struggled with drugs during his playing career and was suspended for the 1985 and 1987 season for violating the league’s drug policy. No small feat for the 1980’s. Wilson also famously went missing on the eve of Super Bowl XXII in 1989. He was found hours later heavily under the influence of cocaine. The team had no choice but to deactivate him for the game and the league subsequently banned him for life. Fox concludes:
The Detroit Lions selected Wilson in the third round of the 2005 draft. He went on to play two seasons with the Lions before suffering an Achilles tear in a preseason game.
He ultimately was not able to bounce back from the injury and ended his football career.
Wilson’s father, Stanley Wilson Sr., also played in the NFL. He finished his career with 89 tackles and one forced fumble.
The cause of death was not immediately known, but officials are expected to conduct an autopsy. At this point in the investigation, there is no suspicion of foul play.
Wilson was previously arrested in connection to a home invasion in 2016. He was shot during the attempted break-in at a Portland home and was allegedly naked at the time.
Sadly, Stanley Wilson Jr suffered from mental health issues as his father before him did. Wilson was drafted with the expectation of becoming a valuable contributor, but as is usually the case with achilles injuries in players reliant on speed and change of direction, he was never able to regain his speed and burst.
As happens so often, many players drift and get into trouble after leaving the league. Whether CTE was involved or hereditary mental health issues were responsible, Wilson clearly had issues. His cause of death, especially at such a young age is a mystery, but hopefully an autopsy will shed some light on the how and why of Stanley Wilson Jr’s death.
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