Posted on Wed, May. 14, 2008

FORMER PANTHER

Whitley's death a shock to family

He spoke to parents day before he died; police don't suspect foul play

CHARLES CHANDLER

cchandler@charlotteobserver.com

Staff file photo

Former Carolina Panthers center Curtis Whitley (above during 1996 game)

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The phone call no one wants to receive came around 3:30 p.m. Monday.

The family of former Carolina Panthers center Curtis Whitley was informed he'd been found dead one day earlier, on Mother's Day, in his trailer in Fort Stockton, Texas.

"It was completely and totally unexpected," said Norman Whitley, Curtis' brother and a sergeant with the Johnston County (N.C.) Sheriff's Department.

Norman said Curtis had moved from his hometown of Smithfield, just southeast of Raleigh, to Texas in October to get a job. Curtis drove a truck and worked at an oil rig, he said.

Fort Stockton is a town of about 9,000 people in Pecos County, Texas. It's about 130 miles from Big Bend National Park.

On Saturday, his 39th birthday, Curtis had a phone conversation with his parents.

"He was doing just fine," his brother said.

At about 1 a.m. Sunday, friends in Fort Stockton saw Curtis sitting on the front steps of his trailer, according to Chief Deputy Thomas Perkins of the Pecos County Sheriff's Office.

But after not seeing him all morning and afternoon, his friends became concerned and looked for him in the trailer.

Perkins said they found him at about 6 p.m. Sunday lying facedown in the bathroom, dead.

Whitley's death is under investigation pending an autopsy, but is being called an unattended death.

"There was no foul play that we can see," Perkins said. "It appears to be an accidental death. There are no signs of struggle or anything to tip us off that it was a homicide."

Norman Whitley said the family expects Curtis' body to be flown home today.

A private funeral service for only immediate family members, per Curtis' request, is planned for Thursday or Friday.

"You know how you sit around and talk about what to do if something happens to you?" his brother said. "That's what he wanted."

Whitley played at Clemson and was a fifth-round draft pick of the San Diego Chargers in 1992. He played three seasons there before getting selected by the Panthers in the NFL expansion draft before their inaugural season.

He started all 16 games for Carolina in '95, then was given a new three-year contract. He started eight games in '96 before getting suspended four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

The Panthers released him after the season and he signed with Oakland. He played the '97 season with the Raiders before getting suspended again. That ended his NFL career.