Ex-Stanford, Lions DB Wilson dies
Former Detroit Lions and Stanford defensive back Stanley Wilson Jr. collapsed and died while being checked into a mental hospital earlier this month, the NFL team confirmed on Wednesday.
He was 40.
Wilson was being transferred from a Los Angeles jail, where he'd been held since an August vandalism arrest, to the mental health facility after being declared incompetent to stand trial, TMZ reported.
In August he had allegedly broken into a $30 million Hollywood Hills mansion twice. The second time he caused $5,000 worth of damage, TMZ reported at the time, by taking a bath in the outdoor fountain with soap he found inside the house.
Arrested both times, he was charged on two felony counts of vandalism and one count of second-degree burglary, TMZ reported. Authorities then determined that he was unfit to stand trial due to his mental health condition.
Before those troubles, Wilson played at Stanford from 2001 to 2004, playing 39 games and totaling five interceptions. The Lions tapped him in the third round of the 2005 draft. Over three seasons and 32 career games in Detroit, he logged 63 tackles and one forced fumble. He played with the Lions from 2005-07 until his career was cut short by an Achilles injury, and he was released in 2008.
Wilson had reportedly struggled with drug use after his NFL exit and had a history of breaking into homes, stripping and bathing naked in backyard fountains. In June 2016 he was shot by an Oregon homeowner after attempting to break in, and police found Wilson bathing out back.
Wilson's father is ex-Bengals running back Stanley Wilson Sr., who had his own drug-based run-ins with the law and notoriously missed Super Bowl XXIII in 1989 due to a cocaine relapse.
CHIEFS CELEBRATE >> Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce promised thousands of fans celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl championship that the team will be back for more.
During a boisterous victory rally at downtown's Union Station after a parade, Mahomes and Kelce joked about “experts” who predicted the just-concluded NFL season would be a rebuilding year for the Chiefs, who defeated the Eagles 38-35 on Sunday.
“We're back again, we're back again,” Mahomes, the NFL's regular season and Super Bowl MVP, told thousands of cheering fans clad in the Chiefs' red and gold team colors. “When we started this season the AFC West said we were rebuilding. I'll be honest with you, I don't know what rebuilding means. In our rebuilding year, we're world champs.”
Kelce noted that some “haters” predicted the Chiefs wouldn't even make the playoffs.
“In all reality, this was this best season of my life,” Kelce said. “I owe it to (the fans), I owe it to the guys on this stage, I owe it to everybody in Chiefs Kingdom and the organization we've been able to create.” HAMLIN DISCUSSES JACKET >> Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin said he never intended to offend anyone for attending the Super Bowl wearing a jacket that critics deemed to feature an offensive depiction of Jesus.
“After talking with my parents I understand how my coat could have offended some people,” Hamlin wrote in a note posted on his Twitter account. “It was never my intentions to hurt or disrespect anyone, the coat is abstract art to me.”
Hamlin closed his two-post thread by saying he will continue to learn from the situation while adding: “My beliefs and Relationship with God is not tied to symbolic images.”
Hockey
CITY TO HONOR MARLEAU >> Two days before he has his number raised to the rafters at SAP Center, former Sharks player Patrick Marleau will be recognized at a special ceremony on Feb. 23 at San Jose City Hall. The ceremony will include a proclamation by Mayor Matt Mahan that declares Feb. 25 as Patrick Marleau Day in San Jose and will include a special flag-raising ceremony. On that day, Marleau will become the first player in Sharks franchise history to have his number (12) retired.
Marleau spent 21 of his 23 NHL seasons with the Sharks and ranks as the NHL's all-time leader with 1,779 regular season games played.
MLS
QUAKES SHINE >> The Earthquakes defeated Minnesota United FC 4-1 on Wednesday in Indio as part of the 2023 Coachella Valley Invitational. The Earthquakes led 2-0 lead on goals in the first nine minutes by Cristian Espinoza. Midfielder Niko Tsakiris, 17, and SuperDraft selection Daniel Munie each added a goal in the second half to give the Earthquakes a 4-1 lead.
The Quakes face the New York Red Bulls on Feb. 18 and open the regular season Feb. 25 in Atlanta.
College basketball
TOP-RANKED ALABAMA GOES DOWN >> Zakai Zeigler and Santiago Vescovi each scored 15 points and No. 10 Tennessee took down newly minted No. 1 Alabama 68-59. Playing its first game as the top-ranked team since the 2002-03 season, the Crimson Tide (22-4, 12-1 SEC) led just once in the early going and committed 19 turnovers. The Volunteers (20-6, 9-5) ended a two-game skid.
The Tide reached No. 1 in the latest AP poll on Monday, but its only lead in this game came at 12-11.