Stanley Wilson Jr. was once a stand-out football player for Stanford and a third round draft pick for the Detroit Lions. After an injury ended his career in 2008, his life spiraled out of control.
In 2016, Wilson was shot in the abdomen by a homeowner as he tried to break into a Portland, Oregon, area home. At the time, officials believed Wilson was responsible for several home invasion crimes in the area and was experiencing mental challenges.
A year later, officers arrested Wilson for walking through a Portland neighborhood without clothing. Later in 2017, Wilson was arrested for attempting another break-in, according to TMZ.
Months later, Wilson broke into a home and ransacked the property. According to the Daily Mail, officers found Wilson bathing in an outdoor fountain after causing $5,000 in damage to the home.
The former Lions cornerback was deemed unfit to stand trial and remanded to Metropolitan State Hospital mental facility in Los Angeles. On Feb. 1, Wilson Jr., 40, collapsed.
On Wednesday, TMZ reported that Wilson had died. Authorities did not list a cause of death but noted that foul play was not suspected.
Wilson is the son of Stanley Wilson Sr. who played professional ball with the Cincinnati Bengals. Wilson Sr. was found guilty of home invasion crimes to sustain a cocaine addiction and is serving a 23-year sentence.
Wilson Jr. played 32 games with the Lions. His stats include eight pass breakups, a forced fumble, and 87 tackles. He played three seasons before an Achilles injury took him out of the game.
The Daily Caller noted that “Wilson Jr. began getting into trouble with the law shortly after his athletic career came to an end.”
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