Sad news:Minnesota Vikings key player found dead..

AP — EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. Orlando Thomas lost his ability to move as ALS started to wreak havoc on his body.

After that, he was unable to speak. Demetra, his wife, helped him with each laborious word.

He would blink, and she would have to read the entire alphabet. He would blink at the letter because his eyelids were the only muscle in his body that worked, according to Mark Bartelstein, a former free safety agent who led the NFL in interceptions in 1995 while still a rookie with the Minnesota Vikings. “Sentences would take forever.”

For the cherished Thomas’s family and friends, the effort was worthwhile.

After battling the degenerative condition known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, for over ten years, he passed away on Sunday at the age of 42 in his hometown of Crowley, Louisiana. The Vikings, Bartelstein, and Glenn Boullion, the director of the Crowley-based Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home, all confirmed the death on Monday.

The Vikings sent their condolences and words of sadness to his family through a statement.

“He represented the franchise and the state of Minnesota with the utmost dignity and class,” the team stated. “While his outgoing personality made him a favorite among his teammates, Orlando’s involvement in the community made him a favorite outside of Winter Park.”

Thomas was a Vikings player for seven seasons.

Bartelstein represented Thomas throughout his career. “We use great hyperbole or drama, but there’s no way I could even properly describe his courage and his class and his selflessness, just the way he’s handled everything,” Bartelstein said. “He was only ever concerned with other people. Never be sorry for yourself. I am never sorry. It was, “How are you doing?” every time. What’s up with your family? How are the children doing? He was unwilling to discuss what he was going through.”

Thomas experienced a great deal. The ALS Association states that three to five years is the typical survival time. He increased that by over twice.

“He was so tough, and that’s what allowed him to fight this thing for so long,” Bartelstein stated.

The Vikings selected Thomas in the second round of the draft. Thomas was a hard-hitting overachiever who played for the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns, formerly known as Southwestern Louisiana. In 1995, he intercepted nine passes in that year and finished his career with 22. After the 1998 and 2000 seasons, he was a vital member of two Vikings teams that advanced to the NFC championship game, scoring four touchdowns on returns.

However, during his final three years in the league, he missed a total of 13 games due to injuries sustained from his punishing playing style. It most likely also cleared the path for ALS to develop.

“There’s unquestionably a correlation,” Bartelstein declared. “However, I am also aware of how much he enjoyed and learned from the game. It gave him so much, but it also took everything away from him. It can be difficult to wrap your mind around that.

According to medical research, NFL players have died from Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Lou Gehrig’s diseases combined at a rate that is roughly three times higher than that of the general population.

Three athletes who suffered head injuries during competition and were subsequently diagnosed with ALS had toxic proteins discovered in their spinal cords, according to a 2010 study led by Dr. Ann McKee, a professor of neurology at Boston University.

The illness targets the brain’s and spinal cord’s nerve cells.

Those who experience dementia, Lou Gehrig’s disease, or other neurological issues thought to be related to concussions they suffered during their playing careers are expected to receive financial assistance as part of a settlement reached in a concussion lawsuit between the NFL and former players.