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\nFormer NFL defensive lineman Kevin Johnson was found dead Wednesday morning at a Southern California homeless encampment. He was 55.
Johnson was found in the Willowbrook area of Los Angeles after deputies responded just before 8 a.m. local time to a report of an unconscious man, sheriff’s officials said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Johnson’s cause of death was listed as \u00ab\u00a0blunt head trauma\u00a0\u00bb and \u00ab\u00a0stab wounds\u00a0\u00bb, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide, according to L.A. County Medical Examiner records.
Investigators believe the former football player had been living at the encampment. They’re asking for help from any witnesses who might have seen what happened.
Friends say Johnson had health issues later in life that led him to live on the streets, but they called him a wonderful friend who still made an impact on his community.
\u00ab\u00a0He was my best friend. I was best man at his wedding. Great guy, fun-loving. The community is going to miss him\u00a0\u00bb, Bruce Todd told our sister station, ABC7 Eyewitness News in Los Angeles.
His friends said Johnson had health problems that they believe might have been the result of CTE.
Johnson, a native of L.A., played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders from 1995-1997.
After his career in the NFL ended, he played in the Arena Football League with the Orlando Predators and L.A. Avengers.<\/p>\n