Orlando Thomas, who played defensive back for the Minnesota Vikings, died recently following years of battling ALS.
Thomas's agent Mark Bartelstein announced his death in a statement. "Nobody's ever fought a battle like Orlando fought, with so much dignity — I never saw anything like it. It's just incredible," Bartelstein said in his statement, adding, "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."
Thomas was drafted to the Vikings in the 2nd round in the 1995 draft. That fall, he led the NFL in interceptions and went on to be a major factor in the Vikings 15-1, 1998 season that saw the team make it to the NFC championship game. Thomas retired from the NFL in 2001.
"Orlando was an outstanding player for the Vikings for seven years, but more importantly, he represented the franchise and the state of Minnesota with the utmost dignity and class," reads a statement released by the Vikings on Monday. "While his outgoing personality made him a favorite among his teammates, Orlando’s involvement in the community made him a favorite outside of Winter Park.”
Thomas announced his ALS diagnosis in 2007 – three years after he first started to show signs of the disease. Prior to learning of his Lou Gehrig's diagnosis, Thomas had planned to join the Phoenix Cardinals coaching staff with his former Vikings coach Denny Green.
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