Kevin Johnson, a former defensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles and other NFL teams, was found dead this week at a homeless encampment in Los Angeles, with authorities ruling his death a homicide due to “blunt head trauma and stab wounds,” the county medical examiner said.
Johnson, 55, was discovered unconscious on Tuesday and pronounced dead the following morning.
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department is probing the case as a homicide. Investigators suspect he had been residing at the site, and friends indicated that later-life health problems played a role in his circumstances.
A Southern California native, Johnson began his college career at Los Angeles Harbor College before moving to Texas Southern.
Overall, Johnson amassed 43 tackles and seven sacks across 38 career games spanning three seasons with the Eagles and Raiders.
After the NFL, he competed in the Arena Football League, securing a championship with the Orlando Predators in 1998 and later playing for a Los Angeles team.
