ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Keith McCants was found dead Thursday morning inside his St. Pete home.
The Pinellas County Medical Examiners Office confirmed his death to 10 Tampa Bay and said the autopsy won't be ready for a while.
"As of this time, it appears to be a drug overdose," a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office spokesperson told AL.com.
St. Pete council member Robert Blackmon knew McCants for nearly 11 years and typed a heartfelt tribute to him on Facebook.
"Keith meant everything to me. I would tell people he was my friend. My father. My grandfather. My brother. I would lovingly call him my 53 year old son," Blackmon wrote.
Blackmon described McCants as a humble person who rarely got upset and worked to make those around him smile.
"He chose the University of Alabama for his collegiate studies, and that is where he truly excelled," Blackmon said. "Partnering with teammate and roommate (and future HoF’er) Derrick Thomas, they earned Alabama the nickname 'Linebacker U.' Keith was a Unanimous All American, and a 1st Round Draft Pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1990."
McCants would go on from his NFL career to become the first Black marine police officer in Alabama.