Latest news with #DeanWells
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Panthers linebacker dies after two-year cancer battle
The Carolina Panthers announced that former linebacker Dean Wells died Thursday morning at the age of 54 after a two-year-long battle with cancer. Wells was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the 1993 NFL draft. Six seasons later, Wells joined the Panthers in 1999 under linebacker coach Sam Mills. Advertisement Wells played in the NFL for nine years. He finished his time with 529 tackles, 2.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and three interceptions. READ: Locals to host watch party for two Duke basketball players in the Final Four Last April, Wells told On3 that he took on his cancer the same way he took on the football field. 'Show me who to tackle and I can do that,' Wells said. 'This is in the doctors' hands and it's in God's hands.' Wells spent the last year of his life advocating for the fight against cancer, according to the Carolina Panthers. He encouraged others to donate blood, donate to cancer research initiatives and join the bone marrow registry. He is survived by his wife Lisa and his two sons, according to the Carolina Panthers. WATCH: Locals to host watch party for two Duke basketball players in the Final Four
Fox News
05-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Dean Wells, former NFL linebacker and Kentucky standout, dead at 54 following cancer battle
Dean Wells, who played for nearly a decade in the NFL following a standout career at the University of Kentucky, died Thursday following a two-year battle with cancer. He was 54. Wells spent the first six years of his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks after he was selected in the fourth round of the 1993 draft. He signed with the Carolina Panthers in 1999, where he played for another three seasons before officially retiring in 2001. The Panthers announced Wells' passing on the team website Friday. Wells first opened up about his cancer diagnosis in an interview with in April 2024. He said he had been diagnosed the previous year with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). "There's mental toughness that comes into it. You have to have a positive attitude that you can beat it. I've done everything that I can with that. It's like the chemo either works or it doesn't. You just don't have a lot of control over it. You wish you had more control," he said at the time. According to the Mayo Clinic, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow in which "the disease progresses rapidly and creates immature blood cells, rather than mature ones." Wells finished his pro career with 529 tackles, 2.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and three interceptions. It followed a standout career at Kentucky where Wells still holds the records for most sacks in a game (5) and the single-season sack record (10). "Condolences to family & friends of Dean Wells, who has passed away," the university said in a statement on social media. "A 3-year starter, he set a UK single-game record with 5 sacks vs. Indiana and went on to a 9-year NFL career. After NFL retirement, he returned to hometown Louisville and was a staunch supporter of the Wildcats." Wells is survived by his wife, Lisa, and their two sons. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
