Orlando Thomas, a defensive back who spent seven seasons with the Vikings, has died at the age of 42.
Thomas had been battling ALS, and his agent Mark Bartelstein confirmed to Adam Schefter of ESPN that Thomas died on Sunday night.
“Nobody’s ever fought a battle like Orlando fought, with so much dignity -- I never saw anything like it,” Bartelstein said. “It’s just incredible. He never had a sense of self pity, never felt sorry for himself, he was always worried about everyone else. He was just the most incredible person I’ve ever been around.”
A second-round draft pick out of Southwestern Louisiana in 1995, Thomas burst onto the scene as a rookie and led the NFL in interceptions that year. He played in Minnesota until 2001.
