Former NFL player Cedric Killings, who fractured vertebra in 2007 game, dead at 45

Cedric Killings, who played in the NFL from 2000-2007 before a fractured vertebra ended his career, died at 45 from lung cancer on June 21, according to his alma mater .

“My love, my best friend, my husband of 21 years is no longer physically with me but he lives in my heart and in the hearts of our 3 children,” his wife Shavon posted on Facebook June 23. “I’m comforted in knowing he is resting and no longer in pain, but I’m still at a loss and can’t believe this is real. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting him then you already know how special he is. Just an all around great person. I don’t just say this as his wife, it’s echoed by family, friends, and former teammates. It has been an honor to share life with him, and to love and be loved by him. [Red heart] So grateful for it all. Love you for life.”

Killings was a standout in the late 1990s at Carson-Newman University and was a four-time NCAA Division II All-American at the Tennessee school.

“Cedric was a fantastic person, player, father, husband, teammate and most importantly, a man of God,” said Carson-Newman head football coach Mike Clowney, who played with Killings during the 1996 season. “We are praying for and grieve with Cedric’s family during this difficult time.”

Killings went undrafted but was signed by the 49ers in 2000 and collected a career-high three sacks, including his first in the league against Troy Aikman.

He later played with the Panthers, Washington and the Texans.

Right before the 2007 season, the Texans let Killings go, with head coach Gary Kubiak calling him “one of the toughest players I’ve ever cut.”

The team re-signed him two weeks later.

In Houston’s Week 3 game against the Colts, Killings fractured his vertebra in a head-to-head collision on a kickoff.

Though Killings would never play again, he did surprise the Texans by showing up at practice five days after the injury.

“Everybody was pumped up,” linebacker DeMeco Ryans said . “Everybody stood up, started clapping for him. It was just an amazing, amazing thing to see him walk through those doors.”

Killings is survived by his wife and three children.

The news comes the same week as the death of former Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett , who drowned at the age of 35.