LOS ANGELES, CA – A former professional football player who once suited up for the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders was found dead at a homeless encampment in the Willowbrook area, and authorities are now investigating his death as a homicide.
Kevin Johnson, 55, was discovered Wednesday morning shortly before 8 a.m. on the 1300 block of East 120th Street. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Johnson had suffered blunt force trauma to the head along with stab wounds.
Investigators have not named any suspects or disclosed a potential motive. Lieutenant Steve De John confirmed that Johnson appeared to have been living at the encampment where his body was found.
Johnson played defensive tackle for the Eagles during the 1995 and 1996 seasons before joining the Raiders in 1997, where he appeared in 15 games as a defensive lineman. After his NFL career ended, he continued playing in the Arena Football League with the Orlando Predators and Los Angeles Avengers.
Friends who knew Johnson said they believe he may have been suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the degenerative brain disease that has affected numerous former football players. The condition, commonly known as CTE, can only be definitively diagnosed after death.
The trajectory from professional athlete to homelessness is one that has become tragically familiar in recent years, as former players struggle with the physical and mental toll of their careers long after the crowds stop cheering.
Anyone with information about Johnson’s death is urged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department at 323-890-5500.
