Former NFL player and Appalachian State safety Matt Stevens died March 20 at the age of 51. Early in his football career, Stevens started out as a two-time All-American at Appalachian State, helping his team reach the Southern Conference Championship in 1995.

He was selected by the Bills in the third round of the 1996 draft as a safety, playing eight years in the league and winning a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2001.

The New England Patriots announced on Thursday that Matt Stevens, a member of the 2001 Patriots team that won the Super Bowl, passed away last week at the age of 51. A third-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in 1996,