Who was Stanley Wilson Jr.? Tracing NFL career of ex-Lions DB found dead at 40

Stanley Wilson Jr., a former defensive back for the Detroit Lions, was found dead after collapsing at a mental institution. He was 40 years old. Per TMZ, foul play is not suspected in his death. Autopsy results are pending toxicology. The defensive back was born in Carson, California, which is about an hour away from Los Angeles.

He attended Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, California, and played collegiately at Stanford. Wilson Jr. competed in 39 games in his four years with the Cardinal, accumulating five interceptions.

Stanley Wilson Jr. was drafted by the Lions in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He had 64 solo tackles with eight passes defended and a forced fumble in three seasons with the franchise. Before the start of the 2008 season, he suffered a career-ending Achilles injury.

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What happened to Stanley Wilson Jr. following the end of his NFL career?

Following his career-ending injury, he found himself in trouble with the law on several occasions. Wilson Jr. was charged with attempted burglary in June 2016 after he was shot in the abdomen after reportedly trying to break into a residence in Portland, Oregon, while being fully naked.

In 2017, he was detained after he was accused of strolling around a Portland neighborhood while naked. He was arrested a third time in February 2017 following another claimed attempted break-in.

Last August, he was arrested once again for supposedly breaking into a home, later taking a bath in an exterior fountain after rummaging through the home.

Wilson Jr. was in police custody following his vandalism arrest in August 2022, but per prosecutors, he was declared incompetent to stand trial and was moved from the county jail to the Metropolitan State Hospital in Los Angeles County earlier this month.

Wilson Jr.'s dad, Stanley Wilson Sr., played running back for the Cincinnati Bengals for six seasons from 1983 to 1988.