Former NFL safety and philanthropist Keion Carpenter died on Thursday morning at the age of 39, one day after collapsing on a run while on holiday in Miami, a family spokesman said.

Cousin Jamila Smith told the Baltimore Sun that Carpenter had an accident while playing with his son.

"They were running to the car when (Carpenter) slipped, fell, hit his head and slipped into a coma. It was just a freak accident," she said. "He was always healthy; he went to the doctor, ate well and worked out."

Carpenter played collegiately at Virginia Tech before recording 165 tackles and 14 interceptions in his six-year NFL career with the Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons.

After the NFL, he started the Carpenter House, which according to its website is a non-profit organization with "a mission to strengthen and empower families from disadvantaged backgrounds by providing them access to resources, activities and structured environments that will allow them to reach their highest academic and economic potential."