*Former Falcons and Buffalo Bills player Keion Carpenter died on Thursday, December 29, following a freak accident while on vacation in Miami with his family. He was 39.
Carpenter was in South Florida when he fell while playing with his son. His cousin Jamila Smith told the Baltimore Sun that “they were running to the car when [Carpenter] slipped, fell, hit his head and slipped into a coma.”
The athlete died at Jackson South Community Hospital after being in a coma for 24 hours.
“It was just a freak accident,” Smith said. “He was always healthy; he went to the doctor, ate well and worked out.”
The 5-foot-11, 205-pound athlete turned pro in 1999 and spent three seasons with the Buffalo Bills before being traded to the Atlanta Falcons in 2002.
Carpenter played both quarterback and safety while in school at Woodlawn High and was known for his 4.4-second speed in the 40-yard dash.
After retiring from the league, the former football pro founded the Carpenter House in Baltimore, a charity supporting the development of healthy homes for low-income children and families.
Carpenter is survived by his wife, Tonia Carpenter, and four children Kylie, Kennedy, Kierra and Kymiah.
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