Former NFL Star Orlando Thomas Dies Of ALS

For those wondering why people were pouring buckets of ice over their head and donating to a disease that many didn’t know about, hope this sheds light. Ex=Minessota Viking star, Orlando Thomas, has died of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). He was just 42 years old.

TMZ Reports

The 42-year-old — who led the NFL in interceptions in 1995 — revealed he was battling the disease in 2007 … 3 years after he first began exhibiting symptoms.

Thomas was a stud in the NFL — he was a 2nd round pick in the ’95 Draft and was a key player on the 1998 Vikings team that went 15-1 and went all the way to the NFC championship. He retired in 2001.

Orlando’s agent Mark Bartelstein issued a statement saying … “Nobody’s ever fought a battle like Orlando fought, with so much dignity — I never saw anything like it. It’s just incredible.”

Bartelstein added, “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.”

If you know what kind of disease ALS is, it’s really scary. It’s a nerve disease and to explain it simply, you lose control of your body. Starts with your hands, then next thing you know you can’t walk, stand, eat or even breathe on your own. It’s terrible. The fact that he lived with it for 10 years is a blessing in itself. My condolences to Orlando Thomas and his family.