Barry Wilburn, a former NFL cornerback known for his playmaking instincts and championship pedigree, has died following a house fire in Memphis. The fire broke out early Friday morning in the Orange Mound neighborhood, and Wilburn was pronounced dead at the scene, according to local reports. His death marks a second recent tragedy involving a member of the 1995 Philadelphia Eagles roster.
Wilburn’s football journey was defined by resilience and big-game moments. Drafted in the eighth round in 1985 by Washington, he carved out a reputation as a ballhawk in the secondary.
His breakout came in 1987, when he led the league with nine interceptions and earned an All-Pro nod. That same stretch of dominance helped pave the way to a Super Bowl XXII victory, where Wilburn made his mark on the game’s biggest stage with an interception of Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway.
After stints with the Browns, Chiefs, and a couple of teams in the CFL, Wilburn found his way to Philadelphia in 1995. Though he wasn’t a regular starter, he brought veteran savvy and versatility to the Eagles' secondary, appearing in all 16 games that season.
His most memorable moment in green came in a high-stakes December matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, then coached by former Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan. With the Eagles trailing and their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, Wilburn recovered a fumble by Garrison Hearst in the end zone late in the third quarter - a momentum-shifting play that helped spark a 21-20 comeback win and clinched a postseason berth.
He returned to the Eagles in 1996, playing in seven games and starting two before finishing his career with one final season in the CFL. Wilburn’s NFL legacy includes 20 career interceptions and a Super Bowl ring - a testament to a player who maximized every opportunity he got.
Wilburn’s passing comes just weeks after the death of another member of that 1995 Eagles defense, Kevin Johnson. Johnson, 55, was killed in California in a case that is now being investigated as a homicide, with authorities exploring a possible link to a serial killer.
Johnson had his own winding path to the NFL. Drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round in 1993, he was cut before the season and bounced around practice squads before landing with the Eagles in 1995. Under head coach Ray Rhodes, Johnson quickly found a role in the defensive front, finishing the season with six sacks - the third-most on the team - and proving to be a disruptive force off the edge.
Two teammates, two very different NFL journeys, but both remembered for their contributions to a gritty Eagles squad that fought its way into the playoffs. Their sudden and tragic deaths are a sobering reminder of the fragility of life, even for those who once seemed larger than it.