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Keion Carpenter played for the Falcons and Bills. Getty Images

Former Falcons and Bills safety Keion Carpenter died Thursday morning at the age of 39, his family announced.

According to the family, he died after a "freak accident" while on vacation with the family. Carpenter was running to the car with his son when he fell and hit his head.

"They were running to the car when (Carpenter) slipped, fell, hit his head and slipped into a coma. It was just a freak accident," Carpenter's cousins Jamilia Smith told the Baltimore Sun. "He was always healthy; he went to the doctor, ate well and worked out."

Carpenter, who played at Virginia Tech in college, was signed by the Bills as an undrafted free agent and played in Buffalo for three years before being traded to the Falcons.

Carpenter finished his career with 14 interceptions -- nine with the Falcons and five with the Bills.

Carpenter was largely described by those who knew him as a "fun-loving guy" -- in the words of Wes Durham, the Falcons radio play-by-play man, and generous person.

Frank Beamer, Carpenter's coach at Virginia Tech, said the defensive back had "a heart of gold."

After retiring from the NFL, Carpenter founded The Carpenter House, a charity designed to "support the development of healthy homes and environments for low income children to thrive and reach their highest potential for academic success."