Former NFL player and Virginia Tech standout Keion Carpenter died Thursday morning at age 39.

The Baltimore native died at a Miami hospital after being injured in a fall, his family announced.

Jamila Smith, a cousin, told The Baltimore Sun that Carpenter had an accident while playing with this 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, on vacation with his family, was in a coma for 24 hours before his death at Jackson South Community Hospital, spokesperson Casay Vaughn said.

Keion Carpenter, playing with the Falcons in 2005, has died at age 39. Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

Carpenter's coach at Virginia Tech, Frank Beamer, said in a statement that Carpenter was "one of the rocks around which we built our program."

He played safety as a Hokie, graduating in 1999, and his six blocked kicks tied a school record. He intercepted 14 passes during his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons.

Carpenter fractured two vertebrae in a collision on-field and needed spinal fusion surgery. He returned to play one more year before retiring in 2006.

Carpenter founded The Carpenter House in 2005, designed to benefit children from low-income homes through mentoring.

Beamer said Carpenter "had a heart of gold." The Hall of Fame coach added that the former player's work with The Carpenter House and other charitable organizations to help those in need "truly embodied the Virginia Tech spirit."

Carpenter leaves a wife, Tonia Carpenter, and four children.