Former Detroit Lions cornerback Stanley Wilson Jr. died at 40 during intake to a mental hospital earlier this month. Wilson, who played three seasons with the team, was arrested for vandalism in August but subsequently transferred to Metropolitan State Hospital in Los Angeles after being deemed unfit to stand trial. Since ending his NFL career in 2008 due to an Achilles injury, Wilson had been struggling with serious mental illness. Between 2016 and 2017, he was arrested for multiple break-ins, including one in which he was shot in the stomach while completely nude. His August arrest came after he destroyed another home and then was caught bathing in its fountain. Wilson’s mental illness and untimely death are sure to add to a growing conversation about the dangers of professional football, after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin was hospitalized for a heart attack during a game last month.
