Former Alabama player dies

Joe King

Former Alabama football player Joe King died Monday, 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.

King's funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Gadsden's Collier-Butler Funeral Home.