Former Philadelphia Eagles safety Wes Hopkins died Friday at age 57 after he had been in failing health for several months, the team announced.
No cause of death was released. Hopkins lived in Birmingham, Ala., at the time of his passing.
Hopkins was a second-round draft pick in 1983 out of Southern Methodist and came in as a rookie to start 14 games for the Eagles.
The next two seasons he had a combined 11 interceptions and was named first-team All-Pro in 1985. The following season, he suffered a serious knee injury early in the year and missed the rest of that year and also the 1987 season.
Upon returning in 1988, he won back his starting job and remained with the Eagles until he retired after the 1993 season, finishing with 30 career interceptions and 12 sacks.
“Wes Hopkins is one of the best safeties in the history of our franchise and played a major role in the team’s success during his time here in Philadelphia,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement.
Hopkins ended up starting 125 games, the fifth most in franchise history.
“He was a great player and a great intimidator,” former Eagles teammate Mike Quick said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Being an intimidator at that time was a real valued thing because the game was different then.
“I remember being at the Pro Bowl with (former Cardinals receiver) Roy Green the year Wes hurt his knee. Roy was worried about whether Wes was going to be coming back. He kept asking me about him.
“I thought that was a heck of a compliment. I mean, here’s an All-Pro wide receiver out at the Pro Bowl, and he’s worried about whether he was going to have to face a guy the next season who had torn up his knee.”
According to the Inquirer, former Eagles defensive tackle and Hopkins’ friend Harvey Armstrong, the former safety suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
“People speak of the big hitters that played the game, but I don’t hear Wes’ name enough,” Armstrong said. “I was just talking with Eric Dickerson, and he was talking about the big hitter that Wes was. He put him right up there with the top hitters who have ever played the game.”
Funeral arrangements for Hopkins were pending.