Fred McNeill, a former Minnesota Vikings first round draft pick in 1974, died on Monday in Los Angeles, his wife Tia confirmed to the Pioneer Press.
McNeill, 63, died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease). He played linebacker for 12 seasons (1974-1985) for the Vikings. He was diagnosed with ALS in March 2014.
"Prior to that, he had dementia," his wife of 32 years said. "He had lost a lot of weight and had a feeding tube," Tia said.
The last time McNeill and Tia were in Minnesota was several years ago for the induction of teammate and fellow linebacker Matt Blair into the Vikings' Ring of Honor.