CHARLOTTE — 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.
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.
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.
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