Super Bowl champion Matt Stevens dead at 51, family says

"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Matthew Stevens age 51, beloved son and father," the obituary stated.

Stevens had resided in Durham, North Carolina, since retiring from football in 2003.

The football program expressed condolences to Stevens' loved ones.

The Buffalo Bills selected Stevens in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He recorded a career-high six regular-season interceptions in 1999 when he played for Washington.

Stevens ultimately had stints with five NFL teams.

Stevens was in a motorcycle accident in 2007 and was paralyzed from the waist down as a result. Several years later, he used special braces that allowed him to regain his ability to walk.

A memorial service for Stevens is scheduled for Friday in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 

Stevens is survived by "his mother, Jean Thillberg, his father Vincent Stevens, his brother Mark Stevens and his children Cassidie and Colin Stevens of Avon by the Sea, New Jersey, as well as aunts, uncles and cousins," according to the obituary.