A Super Bowl champion has died at the age of 51.
According to Chapelboro.com, Matt Stevens played football for Chapel Hill High School and "won Super Bowl XXXVI with the New England Patriots." News of his death broke on March 25, 2025.
However, according to the funeral home announcement, he died on March 20, 2025.
"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Matthew Stevens age 51, beloved son and father. He leaves his mother, Jean Thillberg, his father Vincent Stevens, his brother Mark Steven,s and his children Cassidie and Colin Stevens of Avon by the Sea New Jersey, as well as aunts, uncles, and cousins," the funeral announcement from Walker's Funeral Service reads.
"Matthew lived in Durham after retiring from playing eight years in the NFL and in his free time he enjoyed competitive shooting," it says.
According to the post, "A memorial service will be held on Friday, March 28 at 2:30 PM at St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church, 940 Carmichael St. Chapel Hill, NC."
According to The New York Post, Stevens "was paralyzed from the waist down in a motorcycle accident where he broke his spinal cord." That crash occurred in 2007.
The cause of death was not released. The Buffalo Bills selected Stevens in the third round of the 1996 draft. He was a safety in the NFL, according to The Post.
According to Daily Mail, Stevens "was a standout in his college days, becoming a two-time Appalachian State All-American." He also was inducted into his college's Hall of Fame.
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This story was originally published March 27, 2025 at 11:27 AM.