Ex-NFL Player Keith McCants Dead At 53

Keith McCants -- the 4th overall draft pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1990 NFL Draft -- has passed away. He was 53 years old.

McCants was found dead Thursday morning in St. Petersburg, Florida by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, according to The Athletic.

The former Alabama defensive end played in 88 games over his 6 year NFL career for the Bucs, Oilers and Cardinals ... and finished with 192 tackles and 13.5 sacks.

He also recorded one touchdown -- reaching the endzone off a 46-yard interception return.

McCants was an All-American at Alabama and was named CBS National Defensive Player of the Year in 1989. He was also selected as the Iron Bowl MVP.

After his playing days were over, McCants fell into financial troubles ... and opened up about his experiences on the ESPN "30 for 30" documentary, "Broke."

Unfortunately, Keith also shared his battles with drug abuse and painkillers ... telling Vice Sports back in 2015 he was taking more than 183 pills a week before the end of his NFL career ... and it took a toll on him mentally.