Former Buccaneers star Keith McCants found dead in Florida home

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Keith McCants, a first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who also starred at the University of Alabama, was found dead at his Florida home Thursday, authorities said. He was 53.

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A spokesperson for the Pinellas County Sheriff’s office said deputies responded to McCants’ home in St. Petersburg shortly after 5 a.m. EDT and found him dead, WFLA reported.

The cause of death appears to be a drug overdose, according to the sheriff’s office. An investigation is ongoing, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

McCants, a native of Mobile, Alabama, was the No. 1 pick of the Buccaneers in the 1990 NFL draft and the fourth overall pick after an All-America career at linebacker with the Crimson Tide. He was a unanimous All-America selection while a senior at Alabama and was Defensive Player of the Year in 1989.

McCants played six seasons in the NFL with three different teams. He played three seasons in Tampa Bay at defensive end, and also played for the Houston Oilers and the Arizona Cardinals. He had 192 tackles and 13.5 sacks in 88 games.

McCants graduated from Murphy High in Mobile, WKRG reported.

He battled drug addiction, depression, homelessness, financial ruin and the early onset of dementia after his six-season career in the NFL ended in 1995, AL.com reported.

“I’m still shocked that a guy who’s 53 years old can be gone who was a titan of his peers,” Robert Blackmon, a St. Petersburg city councilman who is running for mayor of the city, told the Times. “But also from where he was when I met him, I’m happy we were able to get as long as we did. I just wished he could’ve found more peace and happiness on earth.”

In 2012, McCants was featured in the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “Broke,” in which he addressed his financial problems after the NFL, AL.com reported.

McCants had been arrested a number of times on mostly drug-related charges, including as recently as June 2018, the website reported.

“Unfortunately, it isn’t that big of a surprise, because Keith has been going through some tough things throughout the years,” former Tampa Bay teammate Ian Beckles told the Times. “But Keith was just a guy who got drafted too high. He didn’t ever pan out to his draft pick, obviously. He went through some tough times. For sure, he was going through some situations.

“You hate to hear that, but he’s gone too soon, that’s for sure.

Earlier this year, McCants successfully underwent replacement surgery for his left hip, the Times reported.

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