Ex-NFL defensive lineman found dead

. Chris Mims, a former defensive lineman for the San Diego Chargers, was found dead in his downtown apartment Wednesday. He was 38. Authorities said there was no evidence of foul play. Mims was discovered shortly before 9:30 a.m. by police officers conducting a welfare check, police said. The coroner’s office declined to comment because Mims’ relatives had not yet been notified. Mims, who had been plagued by legal problems, played eight seasons in the NFL, seven with the Chargers and one with the Washington Redskins. He retired in 2000, finishing with 42 sacks and 10 forced fumbles in 104 games. Mims was a first-round draft pick out of Tennessee in 1992. He had a career-high 11 sacks when the Chargers won the AFC in 1994. The Chargers released him in 1997. A year later, Mims was convicted of refusing to take a blood-alcohol test after being pulled over for suspicion of drunken driving. His driver’s license was suspended for a year. A judge had previously found Mims innocent of driving under the influence because prosecutors failed to prove their case. In 1999, Mims was accused of attacking a man outside a fast-food restaurant for stealing his tacos. Tennessee Vols Coach Phillip Fulmer, who was offensive coordinator at the time Mims was a player, recalled how Mims and his teammates helped turn around a struggling defense in the early ’90s. “I had to coach against him every day in practice, and that was no fun,” Fulmer told The Associated Press Thursday. “That’s really a sad thing, a very young person to be passing away at that age.”

TAGS: Chris Mims, dead, NFL, San Diego Chargers

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