Former Minnesota Vikings safety Orlando Thomas died Sunday night after a long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS. He was only 42.
"Nobody's ever fought a battle like Orlando fought--I never saw anything like it," Thomas' agent, Mark Bartlestein, told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday. "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."
"(Thomas) represented the franchise and the state of Minnesota with the utmost dignity and class," the Vikings said in a statement. "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.
"Since 2007, Orlando fought this disease with tenacity and optimism. Throughout his difficult battle, he refused to allow ALS to define him, instead putting others' needs in front of his and focusing on making those around him smile."
The Vikings selected Orlando Thomas in the second round of the 1995 NFL Draft out of the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana-Lafayette). It was a Vikings draft that included offensive tackle Korey Stringer. The lives of both men ended far too soon. Thomas made an immediate impact for the Vikings in 1995. He led the league with nine interceptions and was named All-Pro as a rookie. Injuries hampered Thomas throughout his career. He injured his knee in a playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys in 1996. He had hamstring issues and two broken shoulders. Despite those injury issues, Thomas still managed to start 82 of 98 games for the Vikings, intercepting 22 passes. He scored four touchdowns, two of fumbles and two on interceptions. When healthy, Orlando Thomas was one of the best safeties in the game.
In 2004, Thomas was set to join Dennis Green's coaching staff with the Arizona Cardinals as an intern. He started experiencing symptoms of ALS. He helped coach the Cardinals defensive backs during training camp but became weaker. He was diagnosed by doctors in September of that year. He was unable to return to the Cardinals in 2005.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Demetra and their family.
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