Former Alabama football player Joe King died today, a little more than a year after a car accident left him paralyzed.
An offensive lineman under coaches Ray Perkins and Bill Curry, King was 47.
On June 22, 2014, King was seriously injured in a car accident when he lost control of his truck and left the roadway, striking a culvert and a tree. The accident left him paralyzed.
A native of Gadsden, King stood 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighed more than 300 pounds, playing from 1985 to 1988. He had a troubled career at Alabama, struggling with substance abuse problems off the field and legal trouble after his dismissal. In recent years, he had worked as a counselor in drug and rehabilitation programs and with law enforcement.
In late June, King from his hospital bed, gave a series of interviews with WTZT in Athens about his life on the first anniversary of his accident. Gloria Cooper, who helped conduct the interviews, said King wanted to tell his story in hopes that "at least one person" might be able to learn from his life.
His message for recovering addicts was simple - they should faithfully continue with group meetings and sponsors to stay accountable. But he also used the interview to share his faith, and related that he had led two people to Christ from his hospital bed.
King, Cooper said, had the biggest hands she had ever seen, "and a very good heart." Since the interviews, Cooper said, King's testimony has been used in outreaches and drug courts to inspire change.
"He was phenomenal," Cooper said. "He had an attitude that was amazing. There are a lot of people, who are a lot less disabled than he was, who have worse attitudes. The love that He had for God was inspiring. We asked him some pretty tough questions and he answered."
King's funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Gadsden's Collier-Butler Funeral Home.