Curtis Whitley, a center who started all 16 games of the Carolina Panthers' inaugural 1995 season, was found dead in Texas. He was 39 years old.

Family members said Monday night that they learned earlier in the day that Whitley, who turned 39 on Saturday, had been found dead in Texas, where he was living. They were awaiting details about the cause of his death.

Whitley, who was with the San Diego Chargers, was selected by the Panthers in the expansion draft and started every game during the team's first season. That season was played at Clemson's Memorial Stadium, where Whitley starred at during the early 1990s. He would start eight games during the 1996 season, but then was suspended for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

He would come back and play for the Raiders in 1997, but was suspended again in '98 ... ending his career. It was originally thought that the suspensions were due to alcohol abuse, but Whitley later admitted that he was using crystal meth.