Jimmy Wilkerson, a Texas native and former NFL player, has tragically been found dead at 43 years old.
Wilkerson, who was a sixth-round pick of the Chiefs and played for Kansas City Chiefs, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New Orleans Saints and the Seattle Seahawks, reportedly passed away earlier this month as a result of having suffered a heart attack.
The former Chiefs standout, who won a national championship at Oklahoma, moved to the NFL in the 2003 NFL Draft. A native of Mount Pleasant, Texas, Wilkerson was living in Oklahoma City and working as an assistant coach at Carl Albert High School.
In 21 starts and 119 career games as a defensive lineman, Wilkerson totaled 14 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, eight passes defensed, 23 tackles for loss and 179 tackles.
The Oklahoman has details on Wilkerson’s passing, writing, “Friday morning, a few hours before the (high school team) Titans were scheduled to have their final practice and walk-through before Saturday’s title game, Jimmy was at home when a call went out to 911. By the time paramedics got there, he had no pulse. He’d had a heart attack.”