Sports

Former Patriots player Leonard Myers passes away

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Thirty-eight-year-old Leonard Myers, a cornerback for the Patriots during the 2001 Super Bowl season, lost his battle with cancer Friday morning.

Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft said they first learned of Myers' illness when they invited him back for the 15-year anniversary celebration of the 2001 team.

“No one was more excited to attend than Leonard, nor more disappointed to inform us that he wasn’t going to be able to make it back as the December date approached," said Kraft.

Myers was a sixth-round pick in 2001 and helped lead the Patriots to a Super Bowl win.

He only spent two seasons playing for the Patriots, but amassed a total of 17 tackles and played in 15 games.

The Ft. Lauderdale native went on to play for the New Orleans Saints, New York Jets and Detroit Lions.

He recently began coaching football, working on the side to help young athletes pursue the same football dreams he once had. He worked on the coaching staff at Emporia State in Kansas during the 2014 season and served as the wide receivers coach at New Mexico Highlands University in 2015.