Former NFL QB and assistant coach Wade Wilson dies on his 60th birthday.
DALLAS — Wade Wilson, the quarterback who led the Minnesota Vikings to an NFC Championship Game and coached the position with the Dallas Cowboys for more than a decade, died on his 60th birthday Friday.
Wilson died at his home in the Dallas suburb of Coppell. Police said a 911 call was made from Wilson’s home, where the caller said Wilson was unresponsive and CPR was in progress. Emergency personnel determined upon arrival that Wilson was dead.
Police said there was no indication of foul play and that the death was under investigation.
“Wade was a cherished and valued member of our organization as a player, a coach and a wonderful friend,” Cowboys owner
Jerry Jones said. Wilson played for five NFL teams from 1981-98. He played 10 seasons for the Vikings, leading them to the NFC title game during the 1987 season. Minnesota made the playoffs the next two seasons, as well.
Wilson also played for the Atlanta Falcons (1992), New Orleans Saints (199394), Cowboys (1995-97) and Oakland Raiders (1998).
Wilson, who was from Greenville, was an eighthround draft pick by the Vikings in 1981 out of East Texas State (now Texas A&M-Commerce) and made 48 of his 69 career starts for them. He threw for 17,283 yards.
In other pro football news:
• Carolina’s Julius Peppers announced his retirement after 17 NFL seasons, nine Pro Bowl appearances and six All-Pro selections. Peppers spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Panthers and then played four with Chicago, three with Green Bay and his final two seasons back with Carolina. He missed four games in 2002, his rookie season and then played in 254 out of a possible 256 games over the rest of his career. Peppers finished his career with 159½ sacks, fourth-most in NFL history. The defensive end is the only player in league history with at least150 sacks and 10 interceptions — he had 11 of those — and also blocked 13 field goals and extra-point attempts.