Former NFL punter Kasey Redfern dies at 35 from brain cancer
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 13: Kasey Redfern #9 of the Atlanta Falcons punts the ball against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on October 13, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Former NFL punter Kasey Redfern, who played for both the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions during his professional career, has died at age 35 following a battle with brain cancer, his family announced.
His wife told the California Post that he was diagnosed three-and-a-half years ago with central nervous system lymphoma.
Brain cancer battle
The backstory:
Redfern died on Oct. 13 following a battle with central nervous system lymphoma, which he was diagnosed with in April 2023, according to updates posted on GoFundMe.
Redfern entered the league in 2014, signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted rookie free agent. Over a six-year career that spanned through 2019, Redfern held contracts with seven NFL franchises: the Jaguars, San Diego Chargers, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, and Atlanta Falcons.
In 2017, Redfern earned the starting job for the Detroit Lions. However, his season was cut short during the opener when he suffered a torn ACL and MCL after a single punt, which placed him on injured reserve.
Atlanta Falcons stint in 2019
Dig deeper:
Redfern joined the Atlanta Falcons midway through the 2019 season as an emergency replacement.
On Oct. 11, 2019, the Falcons signed Redfern to their practice squad and promoted him to the active roster the next day.
According to official league statistics from the NFL, Redfern appeared in three regular-season games for Atlanta.
What they're saying:
In a Facebook post, Redfern's wife Lauryl said he moved into hospice care this September.
She spoke with the California Post following his death.
"He shouldn’t have lived as long as he did," she said, "but he fought an incredible fight. He smiled the whole way through, never questioned why and always knew God had a purpose for this, having great hope that his miracle would be healing on Earth."
What we don't know:
Memorial service and funeral arrangements have not yet been publicly announced.
The Source: This story was written based on reports from the California Post, as well as GoFundMe and Facebook posts, and game stats from the NFL and a report from the Atlanta Falcons.