Orlando Thomas Not Dead as Falsely Reported, Still Fighting ALS

Former Vikings safety Orlando Thomas was reported to have died battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's Disease. The report turned out to be false as confirmed by his agent Mark Bartelstein and former Vikings receiver Jake Reed.

The false information was reported on Vikings' official website, ESPN, and other news outlets.

Jake Reed posted multiple tweets to rectify the misinformation.

How the false report got out the first place is unclear at this point.

Orlando Thomas has been suffering from ALS for 5 years since 2004. It is a form of motor neuron disease, caused by degeneration of motor neurons which control voluntary muscle movements. The disease was made famous by New York Yankee's Lou Gehrig, who was diagnosed in 1939, and died 2 years later at age 37. Physicist Stephen Hawking and guitarist Jason Becker also suffer from the same disease.