Kenyon Cotton Dead: Ex-Raven Dies After Surgery At Age 36

Former Baltimore Ravens fullback Kenyon Cotton has died in Louisiana, the Minden Press-Herald reports. He was 36.

According to the newspaper, Cotton began suffering breathing problems after undergoing surgery to repair a torn achilles tendon. Cotton's cousin tells the Press-Herald that the former NFL player was returned to the hospital, at which point he "had a series of strokes."

Cotton spent two seasons in the NFL, both with the Ravens.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Cotton was the fifth-leading rusher in school history when he left what was then Southwestern Louisiana (and is currently Louisiana-Lafayette) in 1996.

A Facebook group has been set up in Cotton's honor, and the page says that a wake will be held in Minden, La. on July 23.

Comments

[Caymus77]

06:11 PM on 07/25/2010

Anybody still believe we have the best health care in the world?

[Birdman]

09:25 PM on 07/25/2010

The GOP does just ask them.. Unfortunately the statistics show a different situation. We rank right in there with many third world countries. When if comes to certain stats such as infant mortality.

[TchoupitoulasCanal]

03:03 PM on 07/25/2010

Wow, that's simply tragic. My thoughts and prayers to his family and friends.

[slippery pete]

02:18 PM on 07/25/2010

Stay away from hospitals in the U.S. at all costs, my friends. They perform a lot of good work, but far too much bad work as well. I don't like the chances.

[TchoupitoulasCanal]

03:04 PM on 07/25/2010

Let us know how your self-sustained surgeries go, kiddo!! If your chances of survivial are better by doing your own medical work that would be news to us all.

[tpaige1967]

12:05 PM on 07/27/2010

I am supposed to have surgery on my left foot for a bunyon (hope I spelled it correctly). Had the same surgery on my right foot 3 years ago. Got a staph infection and nearly died. I have tried to avoid the surgery but have been told that if I don't I could become severly handicapped in the near term? The hospital is fighting several lawsuits. What do you recommend.

[Doctor Blechite]

08:10 AM on 07/25/2010

Does anyone know where he was hospitalized for the surgery and the complications?

[Daly]

03:19 PM on 07/25/2010

Found this:

Former Ravens fullback Kenyon Cotton has died, according to a report in the Minden (La.) Press-Herald. He was 36. Cotton, who was a backup for the Ravens in 1997 and 1998, underwent outpatient surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon last week. After returning to his Baton Rouge home from the procedure, Cotton experienced breathing complications. He was admitted to a south Louisiana hospital and later placed into a medically induced coma. "From what I'm told, when he came out of the coma, he had a series of strokes back to back," Kenyon Allen, Cotton's cousin, told the newspaper.


Read more: http://gridironfans.com/forums/latest-nfl-headlines/134911-ex-ravens-fb-kenyon-cotton-reported-dead.html#ixzz0uiubuRHr

[Doctor Blechite]

04:01 PM on 07/25/2010

Name of the hospital, any one?

[dct1999]

04:56 AM on 07/25/2010

Tragic news, condolences to his family.

[BaileyWu]

10:26 PM on 07/24/2010

Pulmonary embolism?

[Doctor Blechite]

08:11 AM on 07/25/2010

Likely

[Sandra Stipp]

03:35 PM on 07/26/2010

Maybe too many hits to the head.

[Socrates100]

10:19 PM on 07/24/2010

Cower and Cotton: Sad day for the NFL.

[Stacie Elledge]

10:55 PM on 07/24/2010

True dat.

[aghostinthemachine]

09:45 PM on 07/24/2010

How young. How sad at 36. RIP.

[eternalscorpio1]

07:50 PM on 07/24/2010

enjoy your time on this earth while you are here, you never know when it will end and under what circumstances......RIP

[Newboyx]

06:02 PM on 07/24/2010

So odd. Condolences to his family.

[Puller58]

05:00 AM on 07/24/2010

When it's your time, it's your time. RIP.

[RustNeverSleeps]

06:11 PM on 07/24/2010

Sounds like someone screwed up in the operating room.

[Audacity of Hope]

08:03 PM on 07/24/2010

Yep, in Louisiana, there is a 95% chance you are right. I lost my brother in Ruston Lousiana the same way. He was talking to his wife in enroute to the hospital while in the ambulance, went in to surgery, never woke up. The doctor had the mitigating gull to say the surgery was successful. Thank God, there is a GOD, becauase my family could have gone 5150 and tor that 10 room hospital to shreds. Places like that in the South is not good.

[OneTop]

10:28 PM on 07/23/2010

What a terrible thing to happen and being so young.

Condolences to his family and friends.

[Doctor Blechite]

10:02 PM on 07/23/2010

Sad that there have recently been numbers of young people dying unexpectedly after "routine" surgery. Stuff is missed. The medical staff's preoccupation with user unfriendly computerized electronic medical records is a likely distraction. http://hcrenewal.blogspot.com/2010/07/meaningful-use-final-rule-have.html

Dwight White, a Super Bowl winner, died at wired hospital, UPMC, in Pittsburgh. There is a lawsuit on that case.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/rss/s_665182.html

[farmilyman]

05:29 AM on 07/24/2010

That's why they have you sign waivers and tell you about the dangers ahead of time.

[Audacity of Hope]

08:03 PM on 07/24/2010

You don't waive away medical negligence.

[radar2000]

03:29 PM on 07/24/2010

How can this be blamed on computerized medical records. There are risks to any surgery. Sounds like blood clots to me, and that too can be prevented by leg compression devices and blood thinners after surgery. But then sometimes it's just your time

[Daly]

04:03 PM on 07/24/2010

Agreed!

computerized medical records are there to have the staff work more effectively, they were not used as part of the procedure.

Some are against any advancements, with attitudes against technology, seems many are willing to let other nations lead the robotic surgery way.

[edug8r]

09:23 PM on 07/23/2010

Tragic.

[Devils Advocate]

08:36 PM on 07/23/2010

This makes me feel GREAT going into surgery to repair my torn Achilles tendon next week. I'm gonna sleep well until then {sarcasm}

[Artamentous]

10:07 PM on 07/23/2010

underlying medical problems no doubt.

[RustNeverSleeps]

06:18 PM on 07/24/2010

There may have been an underlying medical issue, but it could just have easily been a mistake in the operating room. I'm sure the family will have it investigated. I know I would if he was in my family.

[gremlin1]

10:33 AM on 07/24/2010

I had Achilles tendon surgery at age 48, 5 years ago. It was a piece of cake. No pain (took meds for the first 24 hours, but nothing after that), no complications and I'm better than ever. I recently took up running and will enter my first 5k this fall. Get a Roll-a-bout to make life easier. I'm sure you'll do well.

[SouthernYankeeBelle]

03:37 PM on 07/24/2010

Everyone is different. Either it was an underlining problem or it was a mistake. Either way it sucks.