Dean Wells, NFL linebacker and Kentucky legend, dead at 54 after cancer battle
Dean Wells, who played nine years in the NFL after a memorable college career, died on Thursday after a two-year battle with cancer, the Panthers confirmed Friday.
He was 54.
According to multiple reports, Wells was diagnosed with leukemia in 2023 and received a bone marrow transplant last spring.
Last year, he spoke with On3 about his fight.
Born in Louisville in 1970, Wells suited up for the Kentucky Wildcats, where he was a standout defender and set the team’s single-season sacks record (10) and single-game mark (five).
The school remembered his contributions in a statement on social media.
“Condolences to family & friends of Dean Wells, who has passed away,” the football team wrote on X. “A 3-year starter, he set a UK single-game record with 5 sacks vs. Indiana and went on to a 9-year NFL career. After NFL retirement, he returned to hometown Louisville and was a staunch supporter of the Wildcats.”
Wells was taken in the fourth round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Seahawks, a team he played with for six seasons.
He got the chance to start during his third season before blossoming into a force in his fourth season, recording a career-high 107 tackles across 16 games (15 starts).
For each of his final six seasons, Wells recorded at least 45 tackles.
