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Linebacker Dean Wells #95 of the Seattle Seahawks looks on during the game against the San Diego Chargers at the Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CaliforniaFormer NFL linebacker Dean Wells has died at age 54.
The Carolina Panthers, where Wells played for three seasons, confirmed his passing in a statement on Friday, April 4. The team said Wells died a day earlier, on April 3.
He is survived by his wife Lisa and their two sons, per the team.
Wells was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2023 and received a bone marrow transplant in May 2024. He discussed his journey during an interview with KSR in April 2024.
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"Show me who to tackle and I can do that," he told the outlet of maintaining a strong optimism amid his cancer treatments. "This is in the doctors' hands and it's in God's hands."
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Dean Wells #95 of the Carolina Panthers runs on the field during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Panthers defeated the Packers 33-31. MandatoryNever miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Wells said that "so many" of his former teammates reached out following his diagnosis. Many of them told him things like, "‘You’re one of the toughest guys I’ve ever met. I know you’ll beat this,' " he shared with KSR.
"There’s mental toughness that comes into it," Wells explained. "You have to have a positive attitude that you can beat it. I’ve done everything that I can with that. It’s like the chemo either works or it doesn’t. You just don’t have a lot of control over it. You wish you had more control."
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