Former NFL Player Killed at Homeless Camp

Police in Los Angeles are investigating the killing of a man at a homeless camp this week, and the victim's name may be familiar to NFL fans. The Los Angeles County medical examiner says Kevin Johnson, 55, died from blunt head trauma and stab wounds on Wednesday, reports the Guardian. Johnson was a defensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles for two years in the 1990s.

Police are investigating the death as a homicide. "Unfortunately it appears he was homeless," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. Steve De Jong tells Newsweek. "It looks like he was probably living there." It's not clear how Johnson ended up in those circumstances, but friends say he had unspecified health issues, per the AP. Johnson entered the NFL as a fourth-round draft pick by the New England Patriots in 1993 and went on to play for the Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders, as well as the Eagles.

In two seasons with Philadelphia, the defensive lineman recorded 43 tackles and seven sacks, and scored a touchdown on a fumble return. He appeared in 15 games for the Raiders in 1997. The Los Angeles native played college football at Texas Southern before his NFL career and later extended his playing days in the Arena Football League with teams in Orlando and Los Angeles.